The Nuances of Pack Politics
by tucuxia
Summary: Castiel and Gabriel Novak are having a hard time fitting into their new school, constantly harassed by older alphas now that they have lost the familiar protection of their own brothers. The Pack, a group that claims to welcome and protect omegas at their high school, may offer them a chance to change all of that, as long as they can get in.
1. Family Packs

Chapter 1: Family Packs

* * *

"Have you ever even been in a pack?"

The tall, dark-haired alpha, his turquoise eyes somehow conveying compassion and derision at the same time, glared at his younger brothers. The older and shorter of the pair, a blonde omega who talked back a great deal more than was considered proper for his subgender, glared at the alpha, resisting the urge to growl through his teeth. His younger brother, who actually matched the alpha in height and strength, watched the exchange silently, his azure eyes calculating and remarkably free of the omega-gold that swirled through his brother's whiskey-colored irises.

"Of course they haven't," their second oldest brother drawled from his seat against the wall, his pale blue eyes flicking lazily around the small café. It was a weekly event, for the two older boys to meet up with their father and younger siblings, but it was never a pleasant affair.

Chuck, a graying alpha with a scruffy brown beard and piercing blue eyes, reached out to grab his oldest son's arm. "Michael, it's his choice."

"Packs aren't for omegas, and they never have been," the dark-haired man replied. "Packs are for alphas and betas; omegas are there only as bitches, fuck toys, and mates. And since we all know that Gabriel will _never_ take a dick up his ass, no Head Alpha would let him in."

The omega, smallest of his family but still an inch taller than his sire, snapped his teeth, golden eyes darkening with an ire that omegas rarely showed. He was dressed in dark jeans with worn knees, a dark green shirt, and a heavy leather jacket, clothes that omegas rarely wore. Even his dark boots were heavy and _alpha_ , the teenager doing everything in his power to resist the call of his instincts and society's _expectations_. "You don't know anything about me _Michael_." He used the name as an insult, almost spitting the syllables across the table, and the blonde second child had to reach out and stop his oldest brother from leaping across the small space and attacking in response.

"Michael," Lucifer hissed, the younger alpha's eyes flashing in warning as his hand clamped down tighter and forcibly returned Michael to his seat. "Fight with your words, not your teeth."

Michael snorted at that, glancing over at his father before reaching for his forgotten glass of water. Chuck had tried to teach his two alpha sons to be gentle, to be in control at all times, and not to give into their instincts. He had always wanted to be seen as a peaceful, calm alpha, though his wrath could bring lesser men to their knees. He only let that side of him show when one of his seven pups were in danger, and Michael had no doubt that the smaller man could take him out if he needed to. In this family, Chuck was in charge.

"This pack is different," Gabriel pointed out, finally speaking as the scent of angry alpha faded from the large booth. "It's run by a junior at the high school, and it has a counterpart run by his cousin at the university. They promise safety, protection, mentoring in schoolwork, and access to the family's resources for the duration of your schooling. I heard about it from one of the betas I befriended."

The huge family had just moved from Illinois to Kansas, and the teenage pups were having a hard time fitting into a new school, a much larger one than the one they had left. Michael and Lucifer had both transferred to the University of Kansas, three of their younger siblings in Lawrence High School, and the two youngest at Lawrence West Middle School. It was a tough transition, especially for the three teenagers, since the high school they came from had fewer than two hundred students and this one had almost two thousand. Was it any wonder, then, that Gabe had gone looking for a pack?

"How do you join this pack?"

Gabriel turned to look at his father, smiling up at the waitress as she came to refill their drinks. "Uh, she said that you have to apply. They interview the ones they are interested in, then they assign you a 'pack mother' or 'pack father' if you are chosen, and that person is your personal mentor until you graduate into mentoring others. It's a really fluid dynamic."

"Do you really feel like you need the protection of a pack at school? Back in Illinois, you always thought your brothers were enough."

The raven-haired teen, his blue eyes darkening, reached out to take his father's hand. "It was enough, in a school with two hundred people that combined middle and high school students into one building. Michael and Lucifer were always a couple of rooms away, or just on the other side of the yard during recess, and no one would dare mess with us."

"We had to keep a lot of knotheaded young alphas away from Gabriel and Castiel," Michael admitted. He always used his brothers' full names in public, a kind of verbal _claiming_ that satisfied his alpha urges. He had never failed in his duty to protect his younger siblings, never having to be told to watch out for them, no matter how much he and Gabe fought.

"And it got harder last year when Michael started college," Lucifer admitted, his alpha pride almost preventing him from acknowledging his own hardships in protecting his brothers. He reached out and rested his hand on Michael's arm, smiling gently at the older alpha. "This school is ten times the size of the one we came from, Mike. There's got to be seven, eight hundred alphas and who knows how many dominant betas. You know the teachers try, but the easiest way for an omega to get through the day without being molested is to have some sort of protection. In big cities like this, they need more."

"The family was enough back home," Michael argued, most of the red having faded from his eyes at last. Gabriel also backed down, Castiel's hand on his arm reminding him that they were all having trouble adjusting to this new city. The raven-haired teen _had_ noticed an uptick of lewd and inappropriate remarks made just within his earshot, and a number of alphas and betas would "accidentally" brush up against him throughout the day. Castiel hadn't even presented yet; how much harder was it on Gabriel, who had already had two heats and was a full-grown and _fertile_ omega? He had never really realized how much Lucifer and Michael's presence had protected them from all that back in Illinois.

"Back home Dad knew everyone's parents," Balthazar pointed out, the lanky blonde beta leaning forward between Chuck and Michael. He was a year younger than Lucifer, the only beta pup and the natural peacemaker of the family. The two youngest, omegas Anna and Samandriel, were silently watching, nibbling on their food and trying to stay out of the argument. They were too young to be bothered by anyone at school, but one day they would face the same problems that Cas and Gabe had to deal with. "Back home, if a young alpha or dominant beta stepped out of line, Dad would go to their house and chew their parents out. Here . . . there's too many people here, Mike. Luci's right; they just need a little more."

"We aren't betraying you, Mike," Cas interjected. "We know that you would protect us, if you could, but we're going to be in High School for a while. We aren't leaving this pack, but we do want to have a substitute one while we're away from home."

"You'll come home smelling like other alphas," Michael growled. That was the crux of the problem, of course. He wanted his younger brothers to smell like his pack forever. It was normal for a young alpha without a pack of his own to desire that, to want to keep his family pack from changing, but his brothers were growing up and he hated it.

Cas reached out with one arm, holding it under Michael's nose. As soon as the alpha sniffed, his eyes flashed red, the hint of a growl vibrating in his throat. "We already do, Mike. At least let us handle this on our terms."

"They shouldn't be touching you." The implied _especially you_ floated in the air between them, but neither omega would acknowledge it. Sexual harassment of an unpresented omega was one of the few things that could get a minor alpha tried as an adult. In the past, when things were a bit more barbaric and omegas had fewer rights, they were often sold off to their future mates before they had presented, in order to assure the alpha or beta that their new mate had never known another partner. Now, that was completely forbidden.

"Well, they are. Not enough to be obvious, and nothing we can report to teachers, but enough that we catch their scent. It's bothering me, sometimes keeping me from concentrating in class, and I haven't even had my first heat yet. How do you think Gabe feels?"

Michael finally turned back to Gabriel, Chuck's fourth son, and sighed at the determination in those whiskey-gold eyes. There was something about Gabe's natural eye color that drove alphas wild, reminded them of the brighter omega gold color they would turn if he was in heat. He couldn't help his eye color, of course, and sometimes wore colored contacts when the family traveled to strange cities, but they must be bringing him a lot of unwanted attention. "Gabe, do you really feel like you and Cas need to join this pack?" He was using their nicknames now, finally letting go of his suffocating alpha instincts.

"I do, Mike."

"Well, I guess if it's okay with Father it's okay with me and Luci."

"Thanks, Mike."

* * *

"I'm kinda surprised Mike caved."

Gabriel shrugged, heading into the imposing building with a brother on either side. Chuck usually dropped them off before taking Anna and Samandriel to their middle school, but Mike had offered to drive them today since he didn't have classes until nine. The ride had not been as awkward as the boys had feared. "He felt like we were rejecting him, telling him that he was a bad alpha and we wanted a new one. You know how alphas can get."

"He'll be better once he has his own pack," Balthazar pointed out. "Non-dominant alphas tend to be a little more unstable, needing validation of their strength and power constantly."

"Do you think the alphas in this pack you want us to join will be like that?"

Gabriel shrugged, ducking to the side as a tight cluster of alpha jocks rushed past them. They all wore their letterman jackets with the school's colorful logo on the upper left side, their last names embroidered on the back. They had only been at the school for a couple of weeks, so Cas didn't recognize any of them, but one of the stragglers managed to "accidentally" stumble into him as he rushed to catch up with his friends. Cas growled, but it was too late; the alpha's slimy scent was all over his arm. He would wash it off as soon as he could, but he knew that he would suffer with that metallic, acrid smell all day. "Great."

"What's wrong?"

Cas showed his arm to Gabe, as if the older omega could physically see the stain of alpha there. "One of them tagged me. I'm going to smell like this all day."

"Growl at them when they get close," Balthazar offered, nodding and waving at someone in the car loop as they reached the doors. He had not wasted a moment once they reached the new school, making friends with everyone he could and making sure that the popular kids invited him to all of their parties. He was a natural social butterfly and had already made a name for himself among the various cliques that ran the school. Balthazar would never have a problem with being harassed, especially since he was a male beta, and Cas knew that a number of betas and omegas of both genders had offered to date the blonde.

"Growl at them?"

"Yeah. Alphas never expect omegas to growl. It'll make them stumble, so that if they do still run into you after that, you know it was deliberate. Worse, they know that you know, so you can report it to a teacher. It should stop some of the worst offenders."

"Uh, I'll try. Thanks, Balthy."

The Senior grinned at his younger brother, shouldering his bag as he turned toward his locker. "Anytime, Cassie."

"I really hate that nickname." It was too late for Balthazar to hear him, of course, since he was already neck-deep in his locker, but Gabe, who also called his brother that, chuckled.

"It's said out of love, little brother. You ready for Calculus?"

Castiel reached his own locker, sighing at the alpha scent wafting off of it. "Yeah, let me grab my book. When do we go to 'apply' for this pack of yours?"

"At lunch." Thankfully, Gabriel's locker was only a few doors down from Cas's, so he grabbed his book and notes before slamming the door and following his brother to their first class. It was the only one that they shared, Cas one of the few Sophomores in the advanced math class, though Gabe hated the entire concept of math. He had long ago decided that he was going to pick a degree in college that didn't require much math, but his brother had wanted someone to study with so he was stuck with _Honors_ Calculus first thing in the morning.

"Okay, I'm sure we can avoid all of the alphas in the school until then."

Gabriel laughed, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. The constant harassment was starting to get to him.

* * *

Cas shifted the book bag on his shoulder uncomfortably, his small lunch bag clenched tight in one hand while the other shielded his eyes from the unrelenting sun streaming through the huge glass doors at the back of the cafeteria. He couldn't catch Gabe's soft gardenia and cherry blossom scent among so many other, more dominant aromas. All three of them had managed to get the same lunch period, mostly since the administration preferred that pack mates spend their one free period together, and luckily it was at the same time as this Pack that his brother had learned about.

"Cas!"

The omega turned at the call, grinning at Balthazar as the beta jogged over to him. "There you are. Have you seen Gabe?"

"Yeah, he's out at the picnic tables. Come on, I'll take you."

Cas pulled back, glancing quickly around for the teachers who were supposed to be observing the lunch crowd. "Balthy, Sophomores aren't allowed to eat outside." Technically, the picnic tables counted as "off campus" and only Juniors and Seniors were allowed to leave during the lunch period.

The lanky beta raised one eyebrow, wrapping a companionably arm around his taller brother's shoulders as he led him inexorably toward the doors at the back of the cafeteria that led to the student parking lot. "Cassie, live a little! Besides, do you really want to eat in here alone?"

"No," the omega whined, remembering the two alphas in his Chemistry class who stood at the lab station beside him, whispering to him the entire hour. They shared the same lunch period, and if he stayed they would surely corner him and try to scent mark him.

"Look, Gabe said that his friend in The Pack is eating outside today, so you need to come with us to meet her. You're not afraid to break one teeny tiny little rule, are you?"

Cas sighed and relented, letting his older brother lead him into the sunlight.

They found Gabriel sitting at a picnic table with a taller woman, her chestnut hair curling gently down her back as she leaned forward in an effort to keep their conversation private. She was beautiful, with clear skin and dark eyes that captivated the soul, her gentle beta scent neither too soft to catch nor too strong to threaten alphas. She looked to be quite popular, her clothes and shoes designer, as was her gold-clasped handbag and dainty backpack. Castiel wondered how she could carry her books in that, mesmerized by her manicured and painted nails tapping a sharp rhythm on the faded wood.

Gabriel looked up as his brothers approached, grinning wildly as he gestured for them to sit. His lunch, a squished sandwich and a handful of grapes, sat untouched nearby, his excitement having distracted him from mundane things like food. Balthazar settled onto the bench next to the beta woman, pulling out his own lunch box that was brimming with food he had conned off of his many friends. He preferred the term "scavenged", but Cas was grateful that he shared.

Settling down next to his omega brother, Cas carefully placed his lunch box on the table and unzipped it. It was the soft-sided kind, designed to fold up neatly into his backpack when he was done, thought it only held a copy of Gabe's sandwich and a small orange. Balthazar reached across the table and dropped a bag of salt and vinegar chips in front of him, followed by two candy bars and a can of soda. Where the hell Balthazar found a can of cold, though off-brand soda, Cas wasn't going to ask. Gabriel received a similar offering, and both tore through their lunches as quickly as they could.

Chuck was a great father, and he tried his best, but he didn't really make enough money at his job to support seven pups and send two to college. He had also never learned to cook, so any domestic chores were left to the two older omegas, neither of whom could cook anything more complicated than spaghetti and meatballs. They spent every morning making sandwiches for their siblings, sometimes managing some fruit or vegetables for the younger two, but he and Gabe always made do with what was left. They were always grateful for the food Balthazar brought them.

"Do you do that a lot, bring them food?"

Balthazar shrugged, powering through two slices of cold pizza before answering. He never brought a lunch, relying on his natural charm and wit to net him meals. "Dad's old company went through a lot of cut backs, and he started having trouble keeping enough food in the house for us to manage lunch. I figure, this is the least I can do to help, especially since most of what we have goes to our alpha brothers or the two little ones."

"Sometimes I think he forgets that we're older now," Gabriel added, taking the second can of soda and chugging it. They never got soda at home; it would have been a waste of money when the water came out of the tap at a much more reasonable price. "He'll get us that box from Taco Bell, the one with twelve tacos and burritos in it, and it's not really enough for all of us anymore. He takes two, our oldest brothers take three each, and the little ones both take two."

The slim beta tapped her fingernails on the table again, her warm brown eyes distant. Despite her rich appearance, she didn't seem like one of the "popular girls" that had ruled Cas's old school; she actually seemed like a very motherly sort. "You said you have two alpha brothers, so that only leaves two tacos for all three of you."

Balthazar shrugged, blue eyes widening gleefully as he found a small Ziploc bag filled with Oreos in his stash. Honestly, where did he find so much food? "I don't eat tacos anymore. Generally I get enough at school that a couple of pieces of fruit are enough for me. Gabe and Cas each get one taco that way."

Cas finished his meal, throwing away all of the trash before folding up his lunchbox and tucking it into his backpack. "It's plenty of food," he murmured, refusing to meet the beta's eyes. He refused to accept pity from a girl he didn't even know, especially when she was so clearly rich and they weren't. "Besides, Father has a better job here, and we even have a bigger house. I'm sure he'll . . ." He trailed off, not sure what he meant to say. Would their dad buy two Taco Bell boxes now? Would he get more of those two for $3 burgers at the fast food place near their house? Chuck didn't mean to neglect them, really he didn't, but he worked almost seventy hours a week and he barely had time to notice if they were growing out of their clothes, let alone if Cas's ribs were a little more prominent or Balthazar wasn't growing into his frame as quickly as Michael and Lucifer had done.

"He just works a lot," Gabe added, reaching over to squeeze Cas's hand under the table. "It's going to be better here, he's promised."

The beta, who still had not been introduced, rose from the table in a single, fluid motion, her every movement almost too graceful for words. For a brief, confusing moment, Cas wondered if she could teach him to move like that, but then it was gone. He doubted he could ever be so light and graceful on his feet, especially not once he grew into this broad, six-foot frame he had most certainly not inherited from his father. "Gabe, I'll call the Council."

"Thank you, Maggie."

"What's the Council?" Glad to finally have a name to match to a face, Cas watched the beta leave, her slim form meeting a well-built alpha who wasn't much taller than her. His light brown hair was tipped in blonde, clearly having been bleached in the past before he let it grow out. She whispered something in his ear, standing too close for someone who did not intend to one day be his mate, and he nodded solemnly, his bright blue eyes flicking across the picnic tables to find Gabe, Cas, and Balthazar watching him curiously.

He murmured something to the beta, who spun around to return to them, sliding back into her seat with ease. Cas never saw where the alpha headed off to, but he had been in a great hurry.

"The Council will hear your case, Gabriel." Her words were warm but formal, Maggie's gaze including Castiel. She already knew that Balthazar would not be applying for membership, but she nodded toward him anyway. "Is he coming?"

"Just for moral support," Gabriel replied. "And Dad would have a coronary if we stayed after school on our own."

"After school?" Cas felt the first stirrings of panic in his chest, his scent souring as gold leaked into his blue eyes. "Gabe, do you remember what happened the last time we stayed after school? Dad forbade us to do it again."

"Dad won't be home until seven or eight tonight," Gabe pointed out, trying to keep his scent calm so his brother wouldn't panic. "Lucifer has a late class today and Michael has to pick up the kids and feed them before taking them home. We have until five, easy."

"And the Council won't take that long," Maggie assured the boys. "We can arrange a ride home for all three of you, regardless of what is decided."

Cas whined, leaning away from his brother's soothing touch, but he knew that he really didn't have a choice. He _couldn't_ ride that bus alone, and the only thing that made it tolerable was the presence of his older brothers. He wished they had enough money for a third car so Balthazar could drive them home, but they only had Michael's because their wealthy aunt had rewarded him for being Valedictorian of his class with the gift of an older, but well-maintained Jeep. If not for that, they would probably have to ride the bus in the mornings, too.

Balthazar recognized the moment that Cas relented, even though the raven-haired omega neither relaxed nor calmed down. "Great! Cas, my last class is closest to yours, so wait for me to come get you this afternoon. We'll meet Gabe here, okay?"

"Okay." He knew this was a bad idea, but what choice did he have?

* * *

 **AN:** So I was supposed to be finishing the next chapter of Mulanatural or Celestial War and I accidentally wrote 12k words of a new fic (yes, chapter 2 is already done, just reviewing). I don't know where this came from, but it is my first modern ABO so it should be fun.


	2. Pack Applications

Chapter 2: Pack Applications

* * *

Cas sighed as he missed his locker combination again, the scent of the alpha from that morning all over the painted metal. It was annoying and distracting, and he really wished he had growled at the male before he was run over, instead of a half-hearted attempt after. The omega glanced up just as the football team entered the building, many of them old enough to go off-campus for lunch and the rest not caring if they got caught. They were almost all alphas, only a couple of aggressive betas in their ranks, and Cas could smell them from the other end of the hall. He struggled to switch out his books before they reached him, but he knew it was a losing battle.

"Hey, look what we have here," the leader oozed, leaning against the locker next to Cas's and flashing his fangs at the omega, five of his companions coming to a stop with him. "It's the new boy, from Illinois."

"Yeah, 'boy' is right, Alastair. Look how scrawny he is." The second alpha reached out and ran a hand down Cas's arm, too lightly to scent mark him but enough for the omega to know what he wanted. The first alpha, Alastair who had run into him that morning, chuckled darkly.

"I like when they're little like that, so soft and pretty." Alastair, his sunken cheeks and pale eyes making him look much older than a normal Senior, reached out to cup Cas's cheek in his hand, growling when the omega jerked away. He couldn't go far, though, not with a half-dozen big alphas standing around him. He flashed his fangs and chanced a growl back, knowing that it was probably a big mistake but unwilling to let these boys push him around.

One of the alphas behind him grabbed his shoulders, shoving him forward and holding him still as Alastair leaned forward and grabbed his chin. "Now, now, be a good little bitch. No growling at your betters." Cas whined and tried to sink lower, every omega instinct demanding that he either run or submit to this alpha, but he refused to give in. In his old school, one of his alpha brothers or their friends would have run over to break this up, but here no one knew him. Who would bother to challenge a half-dozen alphas to save a strange, unpresented omega?

A sharp growl from outside the circle surprised them all, Alastair's eyes losing their red instantly as he dropped his hand from Cas's chin. "I know you didn't just call yourself better than this young omega," a new voice spoke up, this one deeper and stronger than any of the alphas Cas had met on campus so far. Five of the alphas managed to make themselves scarce pretty quickly, Alastair grunting as a leather-clad arm shot out and caught him, the new alpha slamming him into the nearest locker and grinning at his wail of pain.

Cas stared at the new alpha male, who was more imposing and somehow more dominant than the football player, despite being a few inches shorter than the slimy Senior and not a jock. The sandy blonde-haired alpha was broad-shouldered and strong, holding Alastair off the ground with only one arm, his free hand twisted in the older teen's heavy jacket. His jade green eyes were clear of alpha red, even though his growl clearly indicated his displeasure with what he had witnessed, and Cas noted a dusting of freckles across his nose before he spoke again.

"Just what do you think you were doing, _Alastair_?" He growled the other alpha's name, baring his teeth in a threat display that Alastair refused to match.

"We were just making friends."

"Yeah? He doesn't look like he is all that interested. And, honestly, after having to smell you for the past three years stalking these halls like you own them, _I'm_ not that interested in it either. Do I make myself clear?"

Alastair's eyes flashed at that and he struggled to pull away, but the other alpha was too strong. "Dammit, Dean, I _made_ you! I taught you everything you know!"

"You didn't teach me anything I _wanted_ to know," Dean replied, half-turning and hurling the taller alpha across the hallway. Alastair fell to the ground with a grunt, glaring up at his attacker but knowing better than to stand before Dean walked away. He was not the dominant alpha in this confrontation, that much was clear. "I told you last year when you started harassing young omegas that if I caught your scent on one of them again I would rip your head off. I'm sure you understand that it was not hyperbole."

"What the fuck is a hyper—" He snapped his teeth shut at Dean's deep, commanding growl, the slightest tendrils of red leaking into his bright green eyes.

"Good, we understand each other. This boy is off limits, and if I even _think_ you laid a hand on him again, I will tear your heart out and make you eat it." The calm, even way Dean delivered the threat was more effective than yelling, and Alastair went pale before scrambling away. He didn't push himself back to his feet until he reached the end of the hallway where his football friends were waiting on him. None of _them_ had been stupid enough to challenge this Dean person, Cas noted.

Then Dean turned to face him, and the young omega froze, all of his instincts remarkably silent. Dean smiled, his face gentle as he reached into the satchel at his side and pulled out a small pack of wipes and an aerosol can. "Use these wipes wherever he touched you and spray these scent blockers on your clothes. Generally they're sufficient for casual contact like that shit I saw him pull this morning."

Cas accepted the items gratefully, taking a wipe and scrubbing the memory of that vile touch away. "You, um, you saw that?"

"Yeah, but I was too far away to see if he had really done it on purpose and we had to rush to class anyway. Do they . . . do alphas do that to you a lot?"

Cas shrugged, turning back to his locker to finish stuffing his afternoon books into his bag. A part of him screamed a warning, never turn your back on an alpha, but this one had already saved him from worse harassment so he felt like he owed Dean some symbol of gratitude. Trust, he hoped, would be good enough. "My brothers and I are new here, so it's been a rough couple of weeks. I'm sure once the shine wears off we'll be treated no differently than the other seven or so hundred other omegas in this school."

When he turned back, Dean was frowning, the slightest wrinkle marring his gorgeous features. Cas caught himself at the thought, scolding his omega, but he had to admit that the alpha was incredibly attractive. His lightly-freckled face was perfectly proportioned, and those brilliant green eyes would captivate anyone's soul. He must have his pick of romantic partners, the omega mused, trying to decide what grade the other teen was in. Eleventh, most likely; he had said _three years_ , and he didn't seem to be in Alastair's grade.

"You aren't even presented yet. They shouldn't be bothering you at all."

Cas shrugged, closing his locker and swinging his bag onto his shoulder. "Well, it's never really stopped anyone before. Mike and Luci used to watch out for us, but . . . they go to KU and we're here alone. Thanks for your help."

Dean nodded sharply, turning to walk with Cas down the hall. The omega wasn't sure if his companion had a class this direction or just wanted to protect him for a little longer, but he was honestly still on edge from the Alastair incident and didn't care either way. "I do try to make this school a safe place for omegas. There are a few rotten eggs, like Alastair, but I manage to catch most of them. They never do anything really concrete enough for the teachers to get involved, but I know that you hate smelling like them all day."

"Yeah, and my brothers aren't too fond of it, either, when we come home reeking of strange teenage alphas. Gabe has a plan to . . . well, to protect us from that, but I don't know if it's going to work." He knew that his voice betrayed him; Dean would understand that Cas hoped his brother's plan could work, that the harassment was really starting to bother him.

Dean eyed him curiously, hands tucked into the pockets of his heavy leather jacket. Cas had already caught the edge of the alpha's scent, spicy cinnamon wrapped in worn leather, and he found that it didn't repulse him like every other alpha he'd met at this school so far. His sense of smell wasn't fully developed yet, and it wouldn't be until he'd had his first heat, but he was pretty sure he would still like it afterwards. "You can't be more than a few months from your first heat, right? I'm not trying to pry or anything, but I could smell your distress from the other end of the hall, and I shouldn't have been able to. My cousin's scent spiked like that randomly just before his first heat, though he doesn't smell nearly as sweet as you do."

Cas actually blushed at that, ducking his head as his inner omega preened happily. He knew what his scent was, honeysuckle and clover, but he always thought it sounded like a wild, untamed combination, and no one had called it sweet like that before. "Thank you. I'm told that my mother said something similar when I was born, that I was her sweet little flower. She took me to a honeybee farm when I was four, I think, and the bees came over to see me almost immediately. I guess I smelled like their favorite wildflowers."

Dean couldn't miss how Cas's whole face lit up when he talked about his mother and their trip to see the bees, but he could tell from the age of the memory that she was no longer around. "How long has she been gone?"

"She, uh, died when I was five. There were some . . . complications with her last pregnancy and she was sick for a long time. Samandriel was only two; he doesn't remember her at all."

"Hey, man, I'm sorry." Dean stopped beside Cas in the hallway, his presence keeping the other students at bay and giving them some small amount of privacy. He reached out his hand, as if to brush the sudden tears from Cas's cheek, but he clearly thought better of it and pulled it back. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Cas shook his head, swallowing his tears as he fought to clear the misery from his scent. "No, I'm okay. She's been gone a long time; I just miss her at the oddest moments."

Dean smiled at him for a long moment, waiting for the omega's scent to calm before holding out his right hand. His wrist was facing sideways, hand open in a request for a handshake, if Cas was okay with that, or an offer to let the younger omega catch his scent and back away. Most alphas had never given Cas that choice, though they always shook hands with other dominants. "I guess I should introduce myself properly. I'm Dean Winchester, eleventh grade, alpha."

Cas stared at the offered hand, his fingers twitching as his omega urged him to take it, to touch his scent glands, to smell like _this_ alpha for the rest of the day. "Winchester? Isn't the mayor's last name Winchester?"

"Ha, yeah. That's John, my dad. My family has lived here for generations, and we always like to watch out for the town and everyone in it. I have to start small, with this school."

Something tickled at the back of his memory, the omega tilting his head curiously. "You looked like you wanted to touch me before. Why didn't you?" Not that he minded, of course, but Cas had never known an alpha to hesitate.

"You hadn't given me permission." So simple, but it meant so much to Cas, for an alpha to give him a _choice_. And he knew that Dean wouldn't press the issue, that he would be fine if Cas was unwilling to shake his hand.

Cas, however, was not unwilling. He reached out, finally bridged the gap between them, shaking Dean's hand gently and letting his fingers press against the scent gland on the alpha's wrist. He felt Dean's callused finger gently caress his own scent gland before they both let go. "I, uh, my name is Castiel Novak, and my family just moved here a couple of weeks ago from Illinois. There are . . . a lot of us."

"Well, I'm glad to meet you, Cas," Dean grinned, instantly shortening the omega's name to something more manageable, the same nickname that his siblings used most of the time. He raised his fingertips to his nose and sniffed, green eyes never leaving Cas's vibrant blue. "Are you staying after school today? There's a club thing I'm doing around three; I'd like you to come if you're free."

Cas waited a moment, expecting to feel that flutter of unease when an alpha asked him to do something, but his omega was still calm, basking in the cinnamon-leather aroma that clung to his hand. "Uh, yeah, I am actually staying today. My brothers have something we have to do at two-thirty, but I guess it'll be over by then. I have to ask them, though . . . Gabe is arranging our ride home and I don't have any other transportation."

He half-expected the alpha to offer him a ride; surely this self-assured mayor's son had a car of his own and alphas had often offered to drive him places in an attempt to grope him or worse. Dean's reply was nothing like he had expected. "Hey, buddy, I get that. Look, if your brothers say you can stay a bit longer, come find me; otherwise we'll try it some other time." Clearly he understood that Cas's brothers were older, more dominant, or both, and that the young omega would have to clear his plans with them.

"O-okay. H-how will I find you?" He knew that he was stuttering, but the alpha's gentleness was almost overwhelming. Aggressive pricks like Alastair he could handle; what defense could he mount against someone who valued him as a person and not a future breeder?

"I'll be out in the back fields where the clubs like to meet on sunny days." Dean waved at Cas's hand, grinning as his jade eyes darkened slightly. "I think you'll be able to smell me, but if you have any problems you can just ask anyone and they'll direct you. I'm not hard to find."

They both looked up as the shrill five-minute bell caught their attention, suddenly realizing that they had been standing in the hall near Cas's classroom for quite a while. Castiel had left his brothers with twenty minutes of lunch period to spare, but he had not anticipated being accosted by a pack of jocks. "I have to get to class."

Dean nodded and turned toward the door marked 147, leading Cas through the doorway and smiling as he waved the omega toward his seat. The raven-haired teen knew exactly what the alpha was doing; his presence in the room was a completely unsubtle warning to every other student there that they would have to deal with him if they bothered the young omega. From the sudden way that most of the students turned to dig in their bags for their notes or buried their noses in their books, the message was well received.

"Hey, Cas, I gotta run if I'm going to make it to my class on time, but you let me know if anyone else causes you any problems. I'm gonna watch out for you."

Somehow those words didn't bother him; usually his response to an alpha's proclamation of protection was to growl and snap that he didn't need any guardian. Honestly, though, the last two weeks had proven that he truly did, and Dean hadn't tried anything despite his clear position in the school hierarchy. If Cas had to pick an alpha to watch his back, at least this one was calm and considerate, as Chuck had raised his boys to be. "Ok, Dean, thank you."

The green-eyed alpha grinned before dashing away, but the mood in the room was forever altered. Alpha, betas, and omegas alike glanced over at Cas, whispering to each other until the teacher hushed them and began the lesson. Still, that undercurrent of confusion remained; who was this dark-haired too-tall omega that had caught _Dean Winchester's_ attention?

* * *

"Hey, how were your afternoon classes?"

"Uneventful, surprisingly." Cas finished slipping his notebook into his bag, trying to remember if he was going to need his biology book for homework or not. Might as well bring it. Balthazar stood near his desk, his own bag hanging from one arm and quite a bit lighter than it should be. He and Gabriel shared half of their classes, so he generally left his books at school and used his brother's at home whenever they had homework. He did carry a book of poetry and a couple of French novels in the front pocket of his messenger bag, his favorite things to read when he had free time. Since he was taking an advanced French Literature class this year, he tried to read the language as often as he could.

"No alphas bother you this afternoon?"

"Uh, no, someone scared them away at the end of lunch." Cas pushed himself to his feet and settled his bag on his back, nodding that he was ready to go. "I learned the name of that alpha that ran into me this morning. Alastair. He tried something after I left you guys, but someone more dominant than him chased him off."

Balthazar glanced over his shoulder at his brother, one eyebrow raised. "And he didn't bother you after chasing Alastair away?"

"No, actually. He was pretty upset that they were harassing an unpresented omega in the first place, and it seems that he and Alastair had unpleasant history. I don't think I'll have to deal with any of the football team bothering anymore."

"That's great, Cassie." The lean beta raised his arm as someone across the field called his name, the pretty beta female blushing when he grinned back.

"You've gotten awfully popular, Balthy."

"Yeah, the ladies love me. They spend most of their time being harassed by knotheaded alphas, so a gentle beta like me is a breath of fresh air."

"And the omegas?" Cas's tone was light, teasing, and he grinned as his brother blushed. He knew that the beta was willing to partner with pretty much anyone, topping omegas and most betas while bottoming for alphas, but he _did_ have a desire for pups one day and he had always preferred the complete submission an omega could offer.

"I've spoken to a couple, but it seems that I'm not dominant enough for them. But, hey, I've only met a small portion of the student body; I have the rest of the year to find a compatible partner before we get to social event season. I didn't have anyone permanent at our old school, either, you know."

"I don't remember you being happy with that."

Balthazar shrugged, finding Gabriel sitting at one of the picnic tables in the back of the field and using the distraction to avoid answering Cas's question. He let the matter slide, knowing that his brother would have to take care of himself and his own love life. "So?"

Gabriel nodded toward the cluster of picnic tables closest to the trees as Balthazar slid onto the seat next to him, Cas settling across from his omega brother with his back to the small woods. "Since we passed the interview process at lunch, I was allowed to submit our applications for consideration. I filled yours out to save time, especially once I saw that there are over three dozen people here hoping to get in. Maggie said that the Council, which consists of the leaders of each of the smaller, more private packs, will read through the pile and decide who to accept. Generally they like to keep families together, and anyone with a family member in the pack to vouch for them is automatically accepted without a vote. The Head Alpha isn't here yet, but his brother came to break any ties and make sure that all of the new members are matched to appropriate mentors. It's a pretty well-organized process."

"Seems like it." Balthazar reached into his bag and pulled out one of his French novels, settling in to wait on the long decision process. Gabe and Cas pulled out their schoolbooks, deciding to work on their Calculus homework as long as they were waiting.

Twenty minutes after they sat down, the Pack members were still deep in conversation and Cas began to worry about his planned meeting with Dean Winchester. He had looked around a couple of times, but the alpha was nowhere to be found, despite the tantalizing hint of his scent in the air. Sighing, Cas tried to focus on his homework, freezing as he heard Maggie clear her throat from the direction of the cluster of Pack members.

He closed his notebook, turning in his seat as the slim beta smiled at the gathered clusters of hopeful teenagers. "Hey guys, first off I wanted to thank you all for being here today. I know that our application and selection process can be intimidating, but we do have a lot of people interested in joining up and only so many mentors available each year. I did want to announce that we have sixteen open spots this year, our most so far, so we will be taking on that many new members today."

A spattering of cheers followed her words, a dozen more Pack members joining their leaders at the three main picnic tables behind her. Cas leaned back against the picnic table and did a quick head count, realizing that almost every member present must be taking on a new member to mentor and protect.

Maggie raised her hands, and silenced reigned again. "Alright, here's how it works. I'm Maggie Merrick, and my mentor was Donald Stark, one of our Council members this year. I'm going to tell everyone the rules that have been agreed upon this year before I move on to disqualifications and family automatic acceptances. Just a note: these rules are decided each year based on the applicant pool, so even people who do not qualify this year may reapply after the semester break for any additional spots that might open up or again next year."

The lean, blonde-tipped brunet alpha who had spoken with Maggie at lunch, presumably her mentor Donald, approached the beta, handing her a list attached to a clipboard and pointing at something near the bottom. The female shrugged, tossing her chestnut hair over her shoulder before murmuring something back, taking the list as her companion moved away.

"Alright, here are the rules for this year. The Council has decided to try for a balance of subgenders today, with a small preference to omegas. That means we are taking on five alphas, five betas, and six omegas. We do not ever accept Seniors for Full Membership, but anyone who is interested can apply for Auxiliary Membership next week, which will allow you to apply for Full Membership if you attend KU. This year we also did not consider any alphas or betas who are already Juniors, but they will also be eligible for Auxiliary Membership." She paused for a moment, watching as ten of the applicants wandered away, murmuring to each other but not bothered by the rejection at all.

The three Novak brothers looked up as an alpha plopped down beside Cas at their table, the green-eyed teen grinning at the raven-haired omega. "Heya, Cas. I was worried when I didn't see you; had no idea you were coming to this."

"It was Gabe's idea," Cas explained, smiling as that now-familiar cinnamon and leather scent washed over him. He didn't notice Maggie's sudden urgent glance over her shoulder, or the shrug thrown in reply by the tallest alpha in her Pack.

Gabriel smiled and bowed his head toward the alpha, clearly not comfortable touching him but willing to let him sit there. Balthazar, never really bothered by anything, reached out to shake Dean's hand, not letting his fingers touch Dean's scent gland but keeping his grip friendly. "Hi, I'm Cas and Gabe's older brother, Balthazar."

"Good to meet you! I'm—"

"Ok, now that all of the disqualifications have been handled, we'll move on to automatic family acceptances." Maggie's voice interrupted the introduction, her eyes offering a silent apology as Dean sent her one of his brother's patented Bitch Faces. "Adam, Akobel has asked to mentor you, if you're amenable to that."

A young brunet alpha, clearly halfway through a growth spurt that would push him to six feet, jumped up from his table, grinning as he ran across the empty space to join the Pack. They greeted him warmly, some of them ruffling his hair as they would a young pup's, possibly all of them very familiar with the young Freshman. "Yeah, that was a given."

Cas glanced at Dean, still missing how the Pack members kept glancing at them. "Why?"

"His older brothers are both in, so he was guaranteed a spot," Dean explained, a wry smile lighting his face. There was something he wasn't saying, something almost too formal in the way he worded that, but Cas couldn't figure out what it was. "There are four more of them this round, if I remember correctly."

"Ezekiel and Sophia Allen, your brother was accepted as a Full Member by the KU branch of the Pack, so your applications have been approved. Ezekiel, I'll be your mentor and Abaddon will be taking Sophia."

"Maggie, your first adoption! I'm so proud," Dean cooed, grinning as the beta blushed.

"Hush, you. I thought it was time I did more than just act as the face of the Pack. Besides, Azrael seems to think that I would be good with his little brother."

Ezekiel, a Sophomore beta, paused to nuzzle Maggie under the chin as he passed by, clearly accepting her protection and support. His younger sister was an omega, and she joined a tall, stunning redheaded alpha at the table, tucking up against Abaddon's side.

"Alright, Ash Miles, your cousin Jo has spoken for you, though she said she can't stomach your ugly mug all year so Crowley will be your mentor." Maggie delivered the jab with a smile, glancing at a blonde alpha female over her shoulder as a beta Freshman rose to his feet and grabbed his bag. The boy sported a mullet, his blond hair pulled into a ponytail behind his neck, and he spoke to the blonde alpha before heading to a different table and his assigned mentor.

"Does that happen a lot, people not mentoring their own family members?"

Dean shrugged. "The Pack leaders prefers it. The idea is to get away from the idea of the family dynamic they have at home, so people want to mentor kids they've never spent much time with before. It strengthens the bonds between the various small factions, believe it or not. One of the omega Pack Leaders from last year who goes to KU now, Gadreel Campbell, is actually dating the alpha who recruited him, and I think it's pretty cool. I love Benny; he's been as close to me as my own brothers since I was a young pup, so the prospect of having him mate my cousin and join my family for real is wonderful."

"Alright, our last family referral this year is Garth Fitzgerald IV, second cousin of Donald Stark. He's asked Randy to take you on, and I think that will be a good faction for you."

"Thanks, Maggie! You're the best." The skinniest alpha Cas had ever seen joined the beta, kissing her cheek before heading toward the cluster of tables behind her. He was much taller than he seemed at first, probably already over six feet at fourteen years old, but nothing about him said _alpha_ except for his scent.

"Okay, now for special cases. Alicia and Max Banes, you indicated that you would join together or not at all. I know that we didn't have room for both of you last year, but we do now, so I would like to invite you to join the Pack. Alicia, Jo has asked for you personally, and Max you will be Kevin Tran's first adoption. I trust that you will enjoy your time with us."

A pair of Sophomores rose gracefully from the ground, sharing the same light brown skin and hair, though they were opposite genders and subgenders. The male omega headed toward a short Asian alpha, while his alpha twin sister joined the blonde Jo.

"Joshua Okonkwo and Benjamin Mwangi, your applications as recent immigrants have both been accepted. Joshua, Patience Turner will be your mentor since her family is also from the DRC and she is eager to spend time with you. She talks a lot, so there's your warning." The gentle young omega smiled, his dark skin contrasting with the vibrant colors he wore, quickly joining the indicated table as a second slender African, a beta, joined Maggie. "Benjamin, Lily was intrigued by your application and asked to mentor you. She's at the main table with Akobel and Adam, so go ahead and join her."

As soon as the crowd died down again, Maggie glanced at her list and tapped her finger on the next section. Dean leaned closer to Cas, almost touching the omega as he whispered in his ear. "Now she is making some final decisions. Maggie is really intuitive, and she has a knack for matching mentors with newcomers. Now that the family and special applicants have been handled, she has to assign all of the other approved teens. The Council finalized the list, but she will match the last half of the group with the available mentors."

Cas found himself watching the beta raptly, ignoring the look Balthazar and Gabriel exchanged behind him. It felt like a game, waiting to see where Maggie would move her chess pieces perhaps, and not like a selection process that could change his life for the better. Honestly, he didn't feel like he was part of this at all, though some small corner of his mind reminded him that he _wanted_ to be part of it. He wanted to join this Pack.

* * *

 **AN:** Chapter 3 is almost done, too, so it should be out in a few days. We'll have to see where the fic goes after that.


	3. Joining a Pack

Chapter 3: Joining a Pack

* * *

"Alright, Charlie Bradbury has graduated to mentor status this year and will be taking on a Freshman beta. Elvis Katz, I think you will suit her best. She's pretty hyper, but you're in a couple of the same classes so I believe that you are already familiar with her eccentricities."

"Shut your mouth, Maggie! You know you wish you were as awesome as me!"

"Charlie, no one is as awesome as you," Dean replied, chuckling when Maggie growled at him for encouraging the redheaded beta from his table.

"Love ya, babe!" Charlie waved back, grinning as her newly adopted member joined Jo's group at the back tables.

"You know Charlie?"

Dean nodded, leaning back on his arms against the table. "Yeah, we've been close for most of our lives. My brothers are both alphas like me, so having someone not stinking of dominance and barely-contained aggression around was a breath of fresh air. She's a lot to handle, though, but brilliant. I haven't seen a game or website yet she couldn't hack, though she avoids ones made by big companies and the government."

Cas tilted his head curiously. "You aren't dating her?"

"Hell, no. She's awesome and all, but I think of her as a little sister. Anyway, she only dates females, with a strong preference for alphas, and I think she may be in a relationship with one of Benny's friends at the University. Dorothy I think."

"Aaron Bass, Bucky Sims of Randy Bull's faction will be your mentor. Tessa Roarke, Don Stark will be your mentor; welcome to my small sliver of the Pack." Maggie smiled at the two Freshman omegas as they passed her, crossing two more names off of her list. "Asariel Wallace, I know that you didn't quite make the cut last year, but you've been chosen this year, and Inias Duncan will be your mentor. When he gets excited and his Scottish accent gets too strong, we're relying on you to translate."

A slender Sophomore beta, the faintest red tint to her braided brown hair, slipped past Maggie to join an equally slender alpha, his dark brown hair shining with red highlights in the sun. He grinned warmly, pulling her into a fierce hug before murmuring something, laughing at her reply. Clearly, Maggie truly was amazing at matching mentors and newcomers.

Gabe reached across the table and grabbed Cas's arm urgently, dragging his attention away from the Pack and the new bonds they were forming right in front of his eyes. "Cassie, there's only one omega spot left."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been counting. Sophia, Max, Joshua, Aaron, and Tessa. That's five, and she said that there are only six omega spots open."

Castiel smiled at his brother, sensing that Dean was watching their interaction closely. "I'm sure you'll get in, Gabe. Don't worry, okay?" But of course that would mean that he _didn't_ get in, and Cas found that he truly wanted to be a part of that huge pack, wanted to be cuddled by one of the dominant alphas and share stories with the young betas and omegas. When Gabriel had first suggested this plan, Cas hadn't been that invested in the outcome, but now he found that the thought of not being accepted _bothered_ him.

Some of his concern must have leaked into his scent, because Dean reached out and placed a comforting hand on his shoulders. "Don't worry, Cas. Everything will be alright."

The omega nodded and relaxed, letting himself enjoy that moment of contact before Dean pulled his hand away. Dean had already promised to look out for him; maybe he didn't need the Pack. He could apply to be an Auxiliary Member or wait until next year to try again, but Gabe really needed to get in now, before the harassment from the alphas wore him down. "Hey, how many Auxiliary Members are there?"

"About three times as many as there are in the main Pack," Dean answered easily. "I don't know the exact number, but it's a lot more prestigious to be a Full Member. Most Aux Members just want to be eligible to join the KU pack, since it's much bigger and doesn't have the mentor type requirements that this one does. Christian Campbell is running it this year, but he's graduating so Benny will take over next year. Benny loves having a huge pack; he directly or indirectly mentored all of the current pack leaders, including the current Head Alpha." Dean chuckled to himself at that, but Cas tilted his head in confusion, not getting the joke.

"Okay, our last two alphas today will be joining Crowley's faction. His real name is Fergus MacLeod, but he hates it so just call him Crowley."

"That part is not necessary, pet." Crowley, though he had a Scottish name, spoke with a British accent, and Cas wondered if he affected it on purpose to ensure that he was easily understood. He knew that it was pretty common among the Scottish actors on Dr. Who, which he loved to watch on his aunt's Netflix when they had the chance to visit her, so it was very likely. Cas sensed his beta brother's rosemary-mint scent brighten at the voice, sighing as he remembered that Balthy had a bit of an accent kink and was certainly planning to find a way to introduce himself to Crowley at the earliest opportunity.

"Yeah, well, they deserve to know what they are getting into. Hannah Johnson will be taking on Rachel Terin as an adoptee, and Kaia Nieves will be taking on Tamiel MacLean." Cas watched the two women, both Freshman and therefore too young to have had their first ruts, join Crowley and his faction. It was the largest faction and also the most female, with the exception of the new members and Crowley himself. Cas sniffed gently, blue eyes widening as he realized that Crowley was an omega, not an alpha as he first thought.

"It's strange to see an omega leading even one faction of a larger pack, isn't it?" It was uncanny how Dean had seemingly read his mind, but Cas wanted answers too much to bother asking how the alpha knew. "Yeah, it's even strange here, but Crowley has a powerful personality. Gadreel was a faction leader, too, but he's my height and size so he could overpower most betas and even some alphas. Don't let his size fool you, though; Crowley is _not_ an omega to cross."

Maggie walked closer to Cas's table, her brown eyes somehow conveying both joy and sorrow at the same time. All of the other waiting applicants had been alphas and betas, so they had left, most of them probably planning to apply for Auxiliary status. "Gabriel, Castiel, it's good to see you again. I'm sure you were counting as I called the omegas."

"There's only one spot left."

Maggie nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry; we can only take one of you at this time. Sam here will be accepting a trainee for the first time this year, and he'd do best with a male omega." The tallest alpha in the Pack, a brunet who was clearly still growing into his musculature, joined the group at the table, his hazel eyes flicking to Dean before returning to the two omegas. Don, Jo, and Crowley had also approached the table, clearly indicating that this choice was more important than any of the others. If this Sophomore, Sam, was the second in command of the Pack as Gabe had indicated, then it probably was.

"Our preference is to have younger trainees, even with omegas, so we're going to accept Castiel. I'm sorry, Gabe; I wanted both of you."

Cas felt his brother's despair before the scent hit him, turning to lean across the table and grab Gabe's hands. Dean sat up from his reclining position, resting a comforting hand on Cas's shoulder as he caught Maggie's attention. "Is there no way you can fit both of them in? Amy Fox graduated to mentor status, didn't she?"

"Yes, but she's doing that foreign exchange thing in Japan. She'll be gone for part of the year and doesn't want to leave someone alone like that."

Dean shrugged. "Yeah, that makes sense. Ruby and Meg?"

Sam snorted. "Dude, they're both in charge of, like, a dozen clubs. They couldn't even make it here today; when would either of them have time to be a mentor?" Gabe's scent washed over him and the young alpha, barely a month out of his first rut and still overly sensitive to others' emotions, frowned sympathetically. "Hey, I'm sorry. We really did try to find enough spaces for both of them."

Castiel glanced over his shoulder, still gripping Gabriel's hand tightly as Balthazar wrapped his arm around his smaller brother and pulled him close. "Give him my spot. Please." The anguish in his voice froze the more dominant teens gathered around him, but he didn't bother to hide his emotions or the bitter undertone in his scent. "He's having a hard time with the alphas here; they think his damn eye color is a constant come-hither, and he doesn't have any control over that. I'm not even presented yet; they should leave me alone, but he isn't so lucky. I'll reapply next year, but Gabe really needs this now. Please, just take him."

Sam turned to Dean, raising one eyebrow, and the older alpha pushed himself to his feet. No one had _ever_ given up a spot in the Pack before. "Sam, take Gabriel as your trainee. You're the biggest damn alpha in the school; no one will fuck with you or anyone under your wing."

"Yeah, and what about Castiel? Don't think I didn't see what Alastair tried this morning. We picked him for a reason, you know."

Dean shrugged, glancing down at Cas, smiling as the omega hugged his older brother across the table as best as he could. "Yeah, I took care of that self-important tool at lunch. He knows better than to touch Cas again. And, uh, I'll, you know, mentor him. I was going to watch out for him anyway; this is more formal."

"Dean, you can't just pick up stray omegas and choose to bring them into the Pack! You said last year that you didn't have time for any trainees."

"This year I do, Sam. Besides, he _was_ accepted, you just ran out of mentors."

Gabe gasped, dark golden eyes widening as he realized who had been sitting at their table the whole time. "Cas, that's _Dean Winchester_."

Cas nodded, confusion threading through his scent. "Yes, I know." And Dean had just offered to mentor him. Cas hadn't even known that he was part of the Pack, but the way the others acted around him indicated that he was. Actually, it seemed like he was quite a bit more than _part_ of it. "Oh shit, he's the Head Alpha, isn't he?"

Dean grinned at the omega, returning to his seat and reaching out to clasp Cas's shoulder. "I thought you knew, Cas. Do you think Alastair and his cronies backed down because I growled at him? I'm good, but I can't take on six alphas, especially since most of them are older than me. When I challenge another alpha, they know that I have the strength of my Pack behind me, and they always back down. No one would dare touch anyone I've offered protection to."

Cas felt tears in his eyes, overwhelmed by the situation and his own rollercoaster of emotions. "And you want to mentor _me_? I'm nobody, just some new kid the alphas won't leave alone." When he was arguing for Gabe to have a spot in the Pack, he had claimed that he wasn't really threatened by the school alphas, but Dean already knew that was a lie.

"You're an amazing young man who was willing to put up with a whole year of assholes like Alastair harassing you, even unpresented, to protect your big brother from a worse fate. I think you just proved how much you belong here." Sam nodded emphatically, the others murmuring their agreements as they realized how much Cas had been willing to suffer for his brother.

"And Gabe gets a spot?"

Dean grinned, watching his pack mates relax out of the corner of his eye. "Gabe gets a spot."

"Thank you!" Cas flung himself into Dean's arms, all of his reticence about touching alphas gone in that moment as he expressed his gratitude in the only appropriate way. Dean chuckled and wrapped his arms around the omega, breathing in his intense honeysuckle and clover scent as the younger teen nuzzled his chin. The Head Alpha glanced up at his brother and grinned, conveying with that one action that he was glad he had chosen to adopt this omega into his Pack.

Sam nodded and walked around the picnic table, sitting a foot away from Gabriel and smiling at the older omega. "Hi, I'm Sam." He held out his hand, watching as Gabe leaned down and took a quick sniff, eyes widening as he returned for a second one.

"Sandalwood and wood smoke? You know that sandalwood is an aphrodisiac, don't you?"

The tall alpha felt a slow smile spread across his face, reaching out to take Gabriel's wrist and pull it close to his nose. He kept his grip light, letting the omega know that he could pull away if he wanted, but clearly the blonde had decided to trust this oversized alpha, so he allowed the scenting. "Hmm, gardenia and cherry blossoms? It's a nice change from all these tree scents my pack seems to like so much. I can see why the school alphas seem so interested in you." His town was light and teasing, no undercurrent of _possession_ that Gabe normally had to deal with from alphas who complimented his scent.

Gabe eyed him warily, sniffing for any deceit in the alpha's aroma, but the teen was smiling, his words genuine. "Gardenia is not an aphrodisiac, Sam."

"Have you seen your eyes? It doesn't have to be."

Gabe watched the young alpha for a long, tense moment, slowly smiling as he scooted close enough to rest his head on Sam's shoulder. "Thank you." He wasn't sure what he was thanking Sam for: teasing him about the eyes that got him in so much trouble, complimenting his scent, or accepting him into the Pack, but he meant it no matter what.

"Welcome to the Pack, Gabe." When Sam had told Maggie and Dean that he was willing to be a mentor this year, he had expected to be assigned a Freshman omega, some boy still awed by the idea of High School, not a fully presented omega weary from harassment and unwanted alpha contact. But, unlike the Freshmen they had accepted, Gabe truly _needed_ him, wanting someone to make his next two years just a little easier. Sam knew that it would take time for him to prove to the hormone-crazed Junior and Senior population that _his_ omega was not to be touched, not to be bothered, but he almost craved the challenge. From across the table, Maggie made a mark on her list, grinning triumphantly at the tall alpha. She knew that it was a good match.

Dean turned halfway around on the bench, somewhat hindered by the purring omega in his arms, to meet Balthazar's gaze, a sly smile brightening his face as those pale blue eyes flicked away to glance at Crowley again. There was something . . . intense in the way the beta watched Dean's only omega faction leader, and he wanted to see if he could take advantage of that. "Balthazar Novak, I hereby grant you Auxiliary Membership in the Pack."

"What the hell, Winchester?" Crowley waved a hand at the lanky beta, his scent darkening. "You can't just wave your hand and grant Auxiliary membership like that."

"Fine, we'll take a vote. Crowley, Jo, Don, Sam; do any of you have a concrete reason why we shouldn't let him in?"

Donald, Jo, and Sam shrugged, Crowley growling something unpleasant before agreeing with the other three. None of them would vote against Dean no matter the reason, but it was still unusual for Dean to accept not one, but two new members just minutes apart. "Why him?"

"Because he hasn't taken his eyes off of you since you scolded Maggie earlier, and I'm pretty sure you're taking the same French Lit class. He has a copy of that weird novel there that I saw in your bag yesterday."

"Dean, be reasonable."

"I can't wait to watch him flirt with you in French in front of the whole pack, knowing that we have no idea what's going on, just to see you blush."

"Winchester!"

" _On va chez toi ou chez moi?"_ Balthazar purred at the omega, his tone highly suggestive and his accent perfectly balanced as he caught the subtle sweetening of Crowley's chamomile and lemon scent. Dean wasn't wrong; Balthazar had been interested in meeting Crowley since he heard him speak, but learning that the dark-haired omega also spoke French was a sign. The omega's eyes widened as he struggled not to blush.

Dean laughed and grinned unabashedly, still holding Cas tightly against his chest. "Dude, that's perfect. Keep doing that, like, forever. I can never get that last word with this bastard." He and Crowley had actually been great friends for the past six years, but watching the omega squirm was one of his favorite pastimes.

Crowley glared at Dean before turning back to Balthazar and snapping, " _suce-moi la bite."_

The beta laughed and blew Crowley a kiss, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. _"Oui, c'est l'idée."_

"Dean, I'll kill you for this."

The alpha laughed, watching Crowley stalk away toward the cluster of Pack members who looked to him, Balthazar smiling appreciatively as he watched the omega's ass. "Thank you, Dean, for this rare opportunity. I've needed someone to help me . . . study my French. What period does he have French Lit?"

"Third. You have it second, right? I'm sure you can speak to your counselor about rearranging your schedule, especially since they tend to be pretty lenient for pack-related reasons."

"I do believe I will do that."

Dean pulled away from Cas slightly, smiling at the omega as soon as he looked up. "Hey, so I have a club thing at three today. Wanna come?"

The younger teen chuckled, already feeling calmer and more centered than he had in weeks. "This is your club thing? You couldn't have mentioned that you're the leader of this Pack?"

Dean shrugged, glancing over his shoulder as some of the members of his pack started to wander over. Don took Maggie to a nearby empty table, welcoming Ezekiel and Tessa into their arms as they started their own bonding process. Amy Fox, Don's trainee the previous year, had not been able to attend since her foreign exchange orientation was at the same time. "You didn't tell me that _this_ was your brother's solution to the alphas here. Now that I've seen his eyes, I get why he can't have a moment's peace. Sam, make sure you get his class schedule and compare it to our active membership; I want eyes on him at all times."

Sam nodded. "Not a problem, boss. Gabe, can I take a peek at your schedule? If we're taking any of the same classes, I can talk to my counselor and move into your sessions. If not, I'll find Pack members who are, and rearrange things as necessary. The idea is that you'll never have to worry about being alone; one or more of your pack mates will always be around."

"Thank you, Sam," Gabe whispered, fishing his schedule out of his bag and handing it over. All he had wanted since they moved was to have pack mates with him all the time, like they'd had when Luci and Mike were in the same building, so being accepted into such a large new family was a dream come true.

"You'll have just as much trouble with your new trainee," Jo pointed out, nodding at Cas. Her first trainee, Charlie, sidled up beside her, casually sniffing in the direction of the new Pack members, Elvis close behind her. Slowly but surely, the rest of the Pack was filtering over, eager to be near their Head Alpha and meet the last of their adoptees. "He's a Lure, Dean."

"Really?" Dean glanced down at Cas, gently touching the omega's chin in a silent request for him to look up. "Cas, how far away is your first heat? Have you had any of the warning signs?"

"Not yet. No dreams, hot flashes, cravings, or, uh, you know, that." Dean grinned at the soft blush growing under his fingers; Cas was too embarrassed to talk about slick production, but he clearly hadn't hit any of the pre-heat milestones yet.

"When I smelled you earlier, in the hall, I thought for sure that you were maybe six or seven weeks from your heat, but that isn't true, is it? You're months away from your first heat, maybe even a year. Your scent . . . it's way too strong for an unpresented omega."

"It always has been," Balthazar piped up. "He's always smelled like that."

"Really? Maybe Jo is right."

"What's a Lure?" Dean caught the slight tremor of fear in Cas's scent, smiling as he ran his hand down the omega's back in a soothing gesture.

"It's not anything bad, Cas, just rare. I'm sure you know that there are some alphas who have stronger scents, ones that are naturally more dominant that others."

"Yeah, I know."

Dean waved around the field, Cas's eyes following the gesture as another cluster of his pack mates joined the crowd around him. "What do you smell here, even before I came?"

"Cinnamon," the omega answered quickly. "It was everywhere."

"My scent is stronger than most alphas', even though I'm only a couple of years out of my first rut. It's always been pretty potent, even when it clashes with my dad's at home. I'm one of those alphas, and it makes it easier for me to lead a pack when my territory and all of my people carry a hint of my scent all the time."

Cas nodded slowly, his azure eyes brightening in understanding. Dean watched them change color, wondering how many different shades of blue he could find in this omega's eyes. "So a Lure is the omega equivalent?"

"Pretty much," Charlie answered, leaning against her mentor's side. "It's supposed to make it easier for the pups in a pack to stick together, always having one strong omega scent to follow. I guess it was more useful when we lived in the forests, but the result is the same. When you have pups—I mean, if you want to have them of course; I would never assume—they'll be able to learn your scent much faster and find it much more easily than another omega's pups."

"The downside being that every alpha in this school thinks I'm five minutes from starting a heat and they can't keep their hands off of me."

"We'll take care of that," Jo promised, holding out a hand and smiling as Cas carefully nuzzled it. He was making a conscious effort to touch these new alphas, to become accustomed to their scent even though he had spent most of his life avoiding them. "But you have to tell us, or at least tell Dean, when you start having any signs that indicate your heat is starting. If you think your scent is strong now . . ." She didn't finish her sentence, but Cas got the gist.

"I will," he promised.

"Dean, you're taking on a mentor?" The first alpha to be assigned, Adam, stepped closer to the table, sniffing in Cas's direction and glancing at Gabe, but not moving any closer. He was too young to have had a rut yet, so his sense of smell was still pretty underdeveloped. "He's cute."

Cas blushed and ducked his head, more flattered by the boy's innocent words than he thought he would be. His eyes widened as he remembered what Dean had said when Adam was chosen, leaning back and smacking the alpha's chest. "He has two brothers in the pack! Dean, why didn't you just tell us then?!"

The gathered alphas froze, staring at their leader in silent shock. No one laid a hand on Dean, especially _not like that_ , but the blonde just grinned and rubbed the spot where Cas had smacked him, feigning pain. "I _thought_ you _knew_. I thought that was why you turned your back on me at the lockers and shook my hand after, because you knew who I was. I'm not used to not being recognized in this town, especially by such a gorgeous young omega."

Cas ducked his head and blushed, his scent sweetening with something pretty close to arousal, despite his young age. "I'm sorry, I just . . . I should have guessed. You knew _everything_ about the selection process."

"So you were just listening because you found my voice soothing?" Dean's voice was light, teasing, the alpha trying to draw his new friend out of his shell. Adam, who _did not_ find his brother's voice soothing, chuckled and settled down onto the grass between Dean and Cas, leaning forward just enough to let his forehead rest on the omega's knee. It was a gentle, non-threatening request for attention, the pup eager to make friends with this Sophomore who had caught his brother's attention. Cas, reminded of his younger brother Samandriel, smiled and rested his hand in Adam's hair.

"I found your presence soothing," Cas admitted.

Sam barked a laugh, ignoring his brother's glare as he shook his head. "Man, Cas, no one has ever accused Dean of having a soothing presence. You're like, the perfect trainee for him."

"Soothing? Dean?" The lone Asian in the group, Kevin Tran, slid onto the bench behind Cas, patting the younger man on his back. Unused to so much physical contact, the raven-haired omega tried to shy away, but Dean's hand on his chest calmed him. He was going to have to get used to this pack and the _physical_ way they liked to greet each other. Kevin's new trainee, Max, plopped onto the bench next to Balthazar, his twin sister squeezing into what little room was left on the end of the wooden beam.

"Kevin, you can live on reheated burritos for the rest of the year if you don't behave yourself."

Kevin's eyes widened in shock, the alpha raising a hand to his heart and falling dramatically to the ground. "You've killed me, Winchester. How could you deny me your mother's wonderful cooking when you know what I have to eat without it?"

Sam shuddered, subconsciously pulling Gabe tighter against his side, the omega offering no protest. "Dean, the last time we tried to keep food away from him, I ended up with a dislocated shoulder. I vote that we keep feeding him."

"How did he dislocate your shoulder? Sam, you're as big as a moose, easily twice his size."

"Crowley calls him Moose, actually," Dean pointed out, green eyes dancing at the bitch face his brother threw his way. "It's was kinda hilarious; Kevin is crazy good with martial arts, and he managed to get on Sam's back and almost choke him out. Sam doesn't tap out easily, so he tried to slam Kevin into the floor and ended up hitting his elbow on the edge of a couch instead. Bam, dislocated! It took weeks to heal."

Kevin grinned and returned to his seat, Cas leaning back into him as Charlie jumped up onto the table, her legs resting on the bench between Dean and his new trainee. Inias, a skinny Scottish alpha with light blue eyes, squeezed onto the seat on Sam's side of the table, forcing him to scoot closer to Gabriel, with Balthazar sandwiched between them and the Banes twins, both of whom were openly flirting with the beta. Cas watched, a soft smile on his lips, as Inias leaned around Sam to introduce himself to Gabriel, the blonde omega only hesitating a moment before shaking his hand.

Charlie reached out and ran her fingers through Cas's dark hair, probably sensing that he was relaxed enough to allow the casual contact, encouraging the omega to rest his head on her leg while she argued with Dean about the sociopolitical nuances of some video game Cas had never heard of. He felt a deep, numbing calm come over him, a sense of peace that he had rarely known in his life, with Charlie's hand in his hair and Adam's head on his legs, Dean reaching out to squeeze his leg every now and then, reminding the omega that he was there.

Cas couldn't help but think that _this_ was what a pack was supposed to be. He turned his head slightly to catch Gabe's bright eyes across the table, truly _omega gold_ in his contentment, and he knew that his brother was thinking the exact same thing.


	4. Pack Schedules

Chapter 4: Pack Schedules

* * *

"Hey, Cas."

"Hmm?" The omega raised his head from Charlie's knee, meeting Jo's eyes across the table.

"There's a welcome/bonding cookout thing this weekend for the whole pack. You in?"

"I, uh . . . when is it?"

"Saturday," Dean answered, glancing around to get a quick headcount. Most of his pack had moved closer, sitting on or near the single picnic table in order to be closer to their Head Alpha. He was used to it, especially since he had done the same thing when he was new, but Cas was still getting accustomed to the press of so many bodies. "We're holding it at my place."

"Your place? As in, the mayoral mansion?"

Sam chuckled, leaning on one arm as he ran his free hand through his hair. "Yeah, Gabe, that. It's kinda weird for new members, I guess, but to us it's just home. Dad's been major since before Dean was born, so we've never lived anywhere else."

"That's pretty cool," Gabe admitted, grinning at his younger brother over the table.

"We can't go, Gabe," Cas murmured, his scent muted slightly. "Father's working, so we have to watch the pups."

"Can't your older brothers watch them?" Dean tilted his head as he remembered their earlier conversation. "What did you say their names were? Mike and Luci?"

Gabe snorted, shaking his head emphatically. "Dude, alphas don't watch pups. That's what omegas are for."

Sam leaned forward, his hazel eyes almost fully green as his gaze hardened. "That is not _all_ omegas are for, and your subgender shouldn't determine your familial role. Our dad watched us all the time, especially when Mom had a big case and the legislature wasn't in session."

Gabe shrugged and dropped his eyes to the worn wood of the table. "It doesn't work like that in our house. I want to go . . ."

Dean shrugged. "Okay, bring the pups with you. How many younger siblings do you have? I know you mentioned the youngest, Samandriel, but I'm getting the feeling that he is not the only one. If you're only three years older than him, I'm guessing one more?"

"Y-yeah. Anna. She's the only girl. They can really come? Jo said it's a Pack event."

Dean grinned and reached out to ruffle Cas's dark hair, chuckling when the omega growled half-heartedly and pulled away. "You're in the Pack now, so your siblings will get in automatically. They might as well meet everyone now."

"Really?! Dean, thank you!" Cas fell forward into the alpha's arms, despite the two Pack members squished between them.

Adam grinned and reached up to pat Cas's leg. "I've been going to Pack events for years, any time I could. It's nice to get to know everyone before you're old enough to join. Will your dad let them come with you?"

Gabe nodded. "Yeah, he'll be okay with it." He looked at his wrist and grimaced at the time, turning slightly to nudge Balthazar. The beta glanced at his watch and sighed.

"As much fun as this is, the three of us need to get home before our brothers realize that we didn't take the bus today. Maggie, I believe you told Gabe you could arrange a ride?"

Dean sat up taller. "My car can carry six, though it might be a bit tight. Sam and Adam can sit in the back with Gabe; Balthazar and Cas can sit up front." Cas, still awkwardly wrapped in Dean's arms, grinned to himself, remembering his surety earlier that afternoon that the alpha had a car and was going to offer him a ride. Then, it would have bothered him, would have felt like a threat from an alpha who just wanted in his pants, but now . . . now it felt safe. It felt like Dean was trying to look out for them.

"You don't have to," Cas demurred, glancing east and narrowing his azure eyes. "It's only a thirty minute walk home, and Michael won't return for another hour. We wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

Dean raised one eyebrow and shook his head. "No, Cas, I'm not going to let you guys do that. If it's a thirty minute walk, it can't be more than a six, seven minute drive. Right?"

"Yeah, that's all it is. But it's not . . . you don't have to."

"What's wrong, Cas?" Dean nudged Charlie's leg and tapped Adam's shoulder, asking both of them to move away and give the two of them some space. He pulled the omega closer, tucking the younger man against his side and resting his chin on his shoulder. "Tell me what's wrong, sweet omega. I'm not going to judge you," he whispered, his voice warm against Cas's ear.

"You live in the mayoral mansion," Cas whispered, biting his lip as he struggled to speak past the knot in his throat. "We live in a trailer, Dean. Eight of us, four bedrooms, which is two more than we had back in Illinois. I don't . . . I don't want you to see . . . we aren't rich, or even well off. Father struggles to pay bills sometimes. I don't want you to see that."

Dean tightened his arms around the young omega, gently nuzzling his cheek. "Do you really think I care how much money your dad makes? Cas, you're my friend, whether you live in a mansion or a cardboard box, okay? Don't ever be ashamed."

"Ok," Cas whispered, relaxing against the alpha's chest. "Thank you."

Sensing that his brother had finished talking to Dean, Gabriel leaned forward across the table, Sam's arm still wrapped loosely around his waist. "What do you drive that you can carry so many people?"

"A '67 Chevy Impala," Dean replied proudly, the start of a purr rumbling in his chest. "It was Dad's car, and he gave it to me at the end of last year when I got my permit. Technically, I can only drive family, but now that all three of you are part of my pack it should be fine."

"That is _not_ how the law works, Dean."

"Dad's the mayor, Sam," the Junior countered. "Who the hell will care?"

"Sounds good to me," Balthazar answered, tapping Gabe's shoulder. "Let's go, boys. Crowley, love, I'll see you later."

The omega snapped his teeth at the kiss Balthazar blew at him, but Dean could tell that he was secretly flattered. Crowley couldn't stomach most of the alphas in the school, and he was a bit too aggressive for any betas to be interested, but it looked like Balthazar might be a match for his temper and dominance. It was going to be an interesting year.

* * *

Cas hadn't wanted to admit that he didn't know what a '67 Impala was or why Dean sounded so proud of it, but he couldn't stifle his gasp of shock when he saw the car. It was beautiful, shining black in the afternoon sun and clearly much more well-loved than anything else in the parking lot. From the shape of the car, even he could tell it was old, but there wasn't a dent, scratch, or speck on rust anywhere to be found.

Dean grinned at the omega's reaction, his chest puffing out with pride as his alpha inwardly preened. "Pretty nice, huh? My dad bought it before he married my mom; he told me no omega could ever resist a beauty like that."

"It _is_ a lovely car, Dean," Cas agreed, thinking back to all of the alphas who had offered to give him rides over the past couple of years. If they had driven cars like this . . . he might have taken a little longer to consider his answer. "Will we all fit?"

"Yeah, no problem. Bench seat in the front and back. Here, you climb in and sit in the middle and Balthazar can take the passenger seat." Dean opened the driver side door, catching his taller brother's eye as Sam opened the back door and urged Gabe to slide into the middle. Sam, who normally rode in the front seat where there was more room for his excessively long legs, knew that his brother wanted to give him a little more time to bond with his new trainee, so he gave a curt nod of acknowledgement before settling into the back seat.

Cas settled into the middle of the long seat, reaching out to run his hands over the beige interior and grinning as Dean slid in beside him. The alpha had already thrown all of their book bags into the spacious trunk, waiting until Adam and Balthazar had taken their seats before shifting the car into gear and pulling out of his parking space.

"I'm surprised you so casually park this exquisite vehicle in the school lot," Gabe commented, leaning forward from the back seat and sticking his head between his brothers'. Sam reached out to rest an arm on the omega's back, clearly not comfortable with his position.

Adam snorted. "Not _casually_ , for sure. Dean had Sam hack the school cameras the first day of school last year, and he has recorded the license plates of every car on the lot. If someone comes within an inch of his car, he gets all pissy."

Cas chuckled and leaned against Dean's side. "It's a car worth protecting, Dean."

"I'm glad you think so."

"Alright, where do you guys live?"

"It's not far," Balthazar answered, leaning forward slightly in his seat. "Head east on 19th and it'll be on the left after Harper."

"That'll be Brookwood, right? I know the place. I hear they're under new management now, really spiffed the place up."

"Yeah, I think so," Balthazar answered, clearly less embarrassed about their home than his two omega brothers. Then again, as the only beta in a pack of alphas and omegas, he had never felt the same urge to impress potential future mates. He caught the subtle souring of Cas's scent and leaned closer to his brother, offering him a quick hug. "These guys have lived in Lawrence all their lives; they aren't going to be surprised by anything they see, ok?"

"I know," Cas murmured, scooting as close as he could to Dean without impeding the teen's driving. "It _is_ nicer than the place we lived in before."

Dean wrapped his right arm around Cas's shoulders, perfectly content to drive with only his left hand, knowing that the simple contact would help calm the younger teen. "Balthazar, you have a pretty strong sense of smell for a beta."

"Yeah, so I've been told. With a house full of alphas and omegas, and one of them a Lure, apparently, I guess I had to develop it as a kind of self-preservation."

A sharp siren cut through the conversation, Sam sighing dramatically from the back seat and thumping his head against the window. "Dean."

"Yeah, I fucking see it, thanks." Dean released Cas's shoulder and pulled into the next parking lot, his eyes on the blue lights flashing threateningly in his rearview mirror. God, but he _hated_ it when Sam was right.

He spotted the police officer get out of his car, and he felt a spark of hope blossom in his chest. He knew that it wasn't protocol, but this guy was one of his dad's best friends, so Dean popped his seatbelt and slipped out of the Impala, meeting the tall, dark-skinned alpha halfway.

"Chief Henriksen, so good to see you!"

The Police Chief, who never drove in marked cars and _never_ pulled anyone over, crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the teen. "Dean Winchester, I do believe I counted six people in that car. You only have two brothers, boy. Want to explain?"

Dean's face fell as he dropped his eyes to the ground, offering the chief his best beaten puppy dog look. He even muted his scent, a tacit request for the other alpha not to see him as a threat. "I took three new members into my pack today, and they didn't have a ride home."

"That doesn't mean the ride had to be you! You know the rules of your permit, Dean. No more than one non-sibling passenger under the age of eighteen. How old are your new friends?"

"They're fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen. Victor, I know the rules, I promise, but I wouldn't do this if it wasn't important. They only live two miles from school, and a seven minute ride isn't the same as driving around town, partying, listening to loud music, and being distracted enough to kill someone."

The older alpha relaxed his stance just a bit, glancing back at his cruiser and the younger police officer Dean could just see in the passenger seat. "Imagine my surprise when I spot the mayor's son breaking the law on my leisurely drive back from the shooting range with one of my newest rookies. What am I going to tell that boy there?"

"That it isn't safe for my three new pack mates to walk home alone."

"Why not? This is a safe town, Dean."

"I know that," Dean soothed, finally raising his sea glass green eyes to meet Victor's hardened mocha. "You make this town very safe, and my dad and I have always appreciated your hard work. That's how you made Chief in the first place! But two of these guys are . . . unusual omegas and their alpha brothers don't get out of their classes at the University for another hour."

Victor worked his jaw for a long, tense minute before dropping his hands and slipping them into his pockets. As a beat cop, and even as a detective afterward, it would have been against the rules for him to have his hands so far from his duty weapon, but as a Chief in a small, low-crime town like Lawrence, he rarely worried about things like that anymore. "Why?"

"One of them has golden eyes, like two shades darker than omega gold. The poor guy was being harassed by half the alphas in school, and he can't help his eye color. The younger one isn't even presented yet, but because he's a Lure . . ." Dean trailed off, hoping that his dad's friend would be able to fill in the blanks.

The Chief sighed and raised one hand to his face, stroking his thin, carefully groomed goatee slowly. "A Lure? That must be hell for the kid. Unpresented, you say?"

"I chased a half-dozen alphas off just today. Victor, I wouldn't do this if I didn't feel like they would be safer riding with a driver on a provisional license than walking alone."

The big alpha relented at that, waving one hand at his cruiser. "What the hell am I going to tell my rookie? He may not have known you were the mayor's son before we pulled you over, but he's going to figure it out really quickly. He'll think I let you go because of that."

Dean turned the full force of his alpha gaze on the rookie, grinning broadly and chuckling as the slender man blushed and looked away. "Hmm, an omega rookie? He's cute. Tell him the truth about my passengers, Victor. He's going to understand. I won't do it again, okay? This is a one-time thing until I get my full license in a couple months."

The Chief nodded at that, waving for Dean to go as he returned to his own car. Dean slid back into the driver's seat, glancing over his shoulder at Sam and grinning. "Victor is letting us go. I told him it was a one-time thing."

Cas furrowed his brows in thought as the car pulled back onto the road. "I don't know how the licensing laws work here, Dean. When can you drive multiple unrelated passengers?"

"A year after I got my provisional, which was last October, I can get my full license. I started kinda late, I guess, and I didn't take Driver's Ed as early as most of my friends."

"What made you want to take it?"

"Dad offered him this car," Adam answered, leaning forward as far as his seatbelt would let him. "He was in class the next week!"

Cas grinned and leaned against Dean again, watching as they pulled into the trailer park. "Thank you for the ride, Dean."

"Anytime, Cas."

* * *

Cas wasn't sure what he had expected when his brothers came home, but Michael's sharp intake of breath and low growl fell within that spectrum. "Calm down, Mike," the omega murmured, keeping his voice soft and submissive. He knew better than to offer any body language that his alpha brother would construe as a threat, especially since he came home smelling like a strange alpha and his pack.

Lucifer entered a moment later, Anna and Samandriel at his side, clearly having ridden home with his older brother. His blue eyes widened fractionally as he caught a whiff of his younger brothers, reaching out to grab Michael's arm in a warning. "Mike, it's fine. Gabe said they were going to look for a pack at school."

The red slowly faded from Michael's eyes as he slowly approached the two omegas, Balthazar looking up from his book as the younger pups ran up to greet him. "He didn't say the alpha would be one of _them_. His scent . . . it's everywhere."

Cas lowered his eyes, subconsciously inhaling the spicy cinnamon aroma that still clung to his clothes and skin. "It will protect us when he isn't around."

"Cas was accosted in the halls today during lunch." Gabriel wasn't willing to mollify his anger-prone older brother, his fangs showing as he leaned forward. "One of the alpha football players thought that he had the _right_ to put his hands on my little brother. Dean saved him from that. And now we're part of Dean's pack. His scent is everywhere, and _everyone_ will know that we are under his protection. They will never dare touch Cas again."

"Gabe . . ."

The blonde half-turned in his chair, golden eyes flicking between his younger brother and the two alphas. "You were going to give up your spot in the Pack for me. I thought Mike and Luci should know what this scent is going to protect us from."

Lucifer squeezed his brother's arm and nodded toward the omegas. "Gabe is right, brother. Besides, the scent isn't so bad. You like cinnamon."

"I don't like my little brothers smelling like cinnamon," Michael argued, the sullen grimace slowly fading from his face. "So, when do we get to meet this alpha of yours?"

"On Saturday," Cas chanced, glancing at Gabe quickly. "We're going to a cookout at Dean's house, and we're taking Anna and Samandriel. It would be nice if you could give us a ride. I know that Dean would like to meet you."

"Alright, yeah, we'll do that. Luci and I don't have to be in Topeka until early afternoon, so we can drop you off in the morning."

"Awesome, thanks Mike."

* * *

Cas sighed as he finished making the sandwiches for Anna and Samandriel, throwing the empty bread bag at Gabriel. "Are there any chips left?"

The shorter omega shrugged, passing two small Ziploc bags half-full of potato chips to his brother, throwing the source bag away. "Yeah, that's the last of it. We're also out of most of the fruit; Dad didn't get any last night did he?"

"No, he forgot to grab any groceries. There are a couple of bananas left, I think."

"Yeah, but Anna won't eat it."

Cas sighed and packed one in her lunch anyway, ignoring the grumbling of his stomach as their beta brother entered the kitchen, the pups' empty cereal bowls in one hand. "She can trade it with one of her friends for something she likes better."

Balthazar rinsed out the bowls and placed them in the dishwasher, glaring as the hinges groaned back at him. Wordlessly, he handed each of his brothers a breakfast bar, slightly squished, food that he had probably obtained at lunch the day before. "I'll see if Luci will get groceries today on the way home just in case Dad forgets again. Do you want me to see if Mike has the money for Subway tonight?"

"That would be great," Cas murmured. "Maybe see if we can get some eggs. It's be nice to have something quick for breakfast."

Michael stumbled into the kitchen a moment later, pouring himself a cup of that powdered coffee he liked so much, sipping it slowly while he watched the omegas power through their breakfast bars. "Out of food again, huh?"

"Dad forgot to stop," Gabriel grumbled, tossing his wrapper in the trash. "We ate the last of the bacon yesterday and we had the eggs for supper last night."

"Yeah, 'you see it, you eat it' night," Lucifer grumbled, joining his older brother for some much-needed caffeine. Both of them ate pretty well, especially since their tuition included meal plans, all of which was paid for with a patchwork collection of need-based and merit-based grants and scholarships. Castiel looked forward to going to college, if only because food was more reliable and readily available. With so many mouths to feed at home, the two older omegas had to give up their share to the pups frequently, and he hated it. "I hate that meal."

"Especially when all we have in the cupboard is canned vegetables," Balthazar added, wrinkling his nose in disgust. He avoided vegetables like the plague.

Balthazar returned to the living room to corral the youngest pups, Michael and Lucifer standing taller as their father strode into the room, somehow exuding a commanding presence despite his short, slender stature and graying brown hair and beard. If nothing else, the man was still _alpha_ in his own family, even if he wasn't that intimidating to strangers. "You boys ready for school?"

Cas and Gabe nodded and grabbed their bags, moving to stand by the door with Balthy and the two pups. Mike and Luci wouldn't leave for another hour, so they waved goodbye to their siblings as the rest of the family headed for Chuck's SUV. Cas took the passenger seat for a change, Gabe and Balthy taking the back with the pups in the middle.

Chuck caught Cas's new scent as he pulled out of the driveway, brows furrowing as he tried to place the aroma. "Who do you know that smells like cinnamon?"

"Uh, that alpha we told you about, the pack at school? He accepted our application. He's one of those alphas with a really strong scent, so we still kinda smell like him this morning."

Chuck shrugged, eyes still glued to the road. "That's cool. Is he nice?"

"Yeah, really nice. And protective. He and his brother and their pack are going to watch out for us at school, just like Gabe said."

"Okay, that's good. I'd like to meet them when they have some time."

"Okay, Father, I'll let them know."

The rest of the ride was quiet, the pups staring out the windows while Balthazar dug through his bag and Gabriel fiddled with the ragged edge of his shirt. They reached the school a few minutes later, the three older boys piling out of the car before Chuck drove away. Cas felt Gabriel stiffen beside him, the omega's usual reaction to being thrust into a situation where he could run into alphas and dominant betas, but the blonde froze in shock a moment later.

Sam detached himself from a cluster of younger students to one side of the school entrance, grinning widely as he reached Gabriel and enveloped the omega in his obnoxiously long arms. The omega relaxed instantly, resting his cheek on his mentor's chest. "Hey Sam."

"Gabe, good to see you! How did the talk with your brothers go?"

"Better than I thought it would, to be honest. Mike was upset at first, but he calmed down. He's going to bring us to your cookout on Saturday so he can meet you."

Balthazar wandered away to find his friends while the two were talking, leaving Cas standing somewhat awkwardly near Sam and Gabe. The raven-haired omega shifted his feet nervously, blue eyes flicking around the crowd until he caught sight of a cluster of teens he recognized from the day before. Weighing his options, the Sophomore bit his bottom lip and moved away from his brother, squeaking in shock as a heavy arm landed across his shoulders.

"Going somewhere, Cas?"

The omega grinned and leaned into Dean's half-embrace, letting the alpha's cinnamon-leather scent wash over him. "Hello, Dean."

"Were you looking for me?"

"Yeah, a little. I thought you might be busy . . ."

"Nonsense! I'll never be too busy for you. Come on; there are a few pack members you didn't meet yesterday." Dean tugged Cas forward toward the cluster of their pack mates, his fingers digging possessively into the omega's shoulder.

Every face turned toward them as they reached the group, some of the younger teens steeping forward to nuzzle Dean before greeting Cas. Charlie bounced forward, dragging two other girls behind her as an older one followed in her path. "Cas! So good to see you! This is Amy—you didn't get to meet her yesterday because of her international thing—and Ruby and Meg. They are running a bunch of clubs this year so they are super busy during the week, but they try to come to weekend things. Guys, this is Cas—Dean's new trainee."

The redhead, a slight girl with pale skin and bright olive green eyes, leaned forward and sniffed Cas, declaring herself a fellow omega with that action. From what he caught of her scent, Cas could tell that she was more mature than him, already past her first heat, which was expected since females tended to hit that particular milestone earlier than males. "Hi, I'm Amy. I think I'm in your Calculus class first period."

"Uh, yeah, I think so." Now that she said something, the slender girl looked familiar.

"Ok, well I'm glad to meet you. I admit I was a bit shocked when I heard that Dean was taking a trainee this year." She didn't sound upset at the choice, merely curious.

"Uh, yeah, it was a, uh, bit of a surprise for me, too. I didn't . . . when Gabe told me about the Pack, I didn't really know what to expect. I just wanted . . ."

"You wanted Alistair and his cronies to leave you alone."

Cas nodded, subconsciously tucking himself closer to Dean. The alpha grinned and purred softly, just enough for Cas to feel it without anyone else hearing. "Yeah, that."

The second female, leaning casually against Charlie's side in the way that betas tended to do with each other, let her dark brown eyes scrutinize the newest addition to her family. "They say you're a Lure." Betas didn't have the strong olfactory senses of their alpha and omega friends, and this girl clearly couldn't tell how strong Cas's scent was.

"Yeah, Dean says I am. I'd never really heard of that before."

"My cousin is a Lure. She was hounded mercilessly when she was younger, until a couple of her friends took it upon themselves to beat up most of the alphas in her school. From what I heard about lunch yesterday, it seems that Dean kinda did the same thing for you." Cas nodded, not entirely sure where this girl with the lilting voice was going with her probing. A moment later, though, she broke into a wide grin, leaning forward to offer her hand to the young omega. "If Dean thinks you're worth kicking some ass for, I guess you're alright in my book. I'm Meg."

"Hi Meg."

The third woman, a darker brunette with calculating eyes, leaned forward as Cas shook Meg's hand, her stance and musky scent marking her as an alpha. "I'm Ruby. I've known Dean since we were pups, and I am glad that he decided to take you on as a trainee. I've always thought that he needed some responsibility in his life."

Dean growled and snapped his teeth, grinning when the other alpha rolled her eyes and backed away. They chuckled afterward, clearly joking around in that aggressive way that alphas tended to love. "Ruby is in a couple of Gabe's classes, apparently, and Meg switched into your Biology class. She's actually pretty happy about the change, since she hated her teacher."

"You are not wrong," Meg agreed, pulling at one of her loose curls. "Mr. Boyd is an absolute terror, especially since it was my first class. Now I have my Interpretation of Musicals class first and I can just sleep through that shit."

Amy turned to the beta and tilted her head, olive eyes narrowed. "Yes, and then you'll ask me for my notes instead of paying attention."

"You're used to it," Charlie smirked, reaching out to punch Cas's shoulder. "I'm going to talk to my counselor about switching into your English class, too. And Sam wants to know if you can move Social Studies to second period and take your theatre class in the afternoon."

Cas nodded. "Yeah, I should be able to. I'll speak to my counselor at lunch. I'm guessing Sam has Social Studies in second period?"

Charlie nodded. "Yep. We won't let Meg be in his class because she totally cheats off his notes, and he's a total nerd so it bothers him."

"Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black," Cas quipped, having already deduced that Charlie was brilliant, easily the "nerd" she accused Sam of being.

There was a long pause, Charlie's green eyes widening in shock as the pack waited to see how the firecracker would respond. Dean broke first though, laughing at the look on his friend's face as he clapped Cas on the chest with his free hand. "Cas, man, don't ever change. I haven't seen anyone silence her in almost three years."

"Hush, you," the beta purred, stepping forward to hug the raven-haired omega. "I have a feeling we're going to be great friends."

"Me, too," Cas whispered, returning the hug as he felt the telltale pricking of tears desperate to fall. Dean's arm had fallen from his shoulders, but the tall alpha rested his hand on Cas's lower back, knowing that the touch grounded him. A dozen years and four pups later, at his ten-year High School reunion, Cas remembered thinking that _this_ was the moment that he truly felt like he belonged in the Pack, that he would make it through school alright.


	5. Pack Manuevers

Chapter 5: Pack Maneuvers

* * *

Crowley enjoyed Third Period. French Lit was an easy class for someone born in Great Britain to a mother who spoke at least six languages and insisted on dating French men. He had been speaking the language fluently since he was a child, and he had aced his first three years of language classes. Bored with that, Crowley had hoped that French Lit his senior year would be more of a challenge, but the books they were assigned were simple and his fellow students avoided any deep, meaningful discussions in the hopes of skating by during their last year. Frankly, the omega craved a challenge.

He scribbled in his notebook while the teacher droned on in the front of the class. His mind was wandering, but it continued to return to the thought of the Pack's newest Auxiliary member, that tall, blonde beta with icy blue eyes. What was it about Balthazar that had caught his attention? Crowley generally hated alphas and any kind of dominance behavior, so any overbearing betas tended to piss him off. The lean beta hadn't exhibited any overtly dominant behaviors, but something about him had made the omega want to _submit_. Crowley _hated_ that feeling.

He flipped the page of his book, pretending to read as the teacher walked over to the door to speak to someone in the hall. Crowley growled softly to himself, shaking his head to clear his mind of the thoughts of the Novak beta, the memory of that soft rosemary scent teasing his nose.

Wait . . . that wasn't a memory.

Crowley looked up sharply as a blonde beta followed the teacher back into the room, handing her a folded piece of paper. The teacher nodded, waving her hand toward the students as Balthazar turned, his pale eyes catching Crowley's gaze halfway across the room. The beta grinned at the omega, his gaze settling on the empty chair to Crowley's left as he sauntered over, his rosemary scent sharpened with a bright mint aftertaste as he carefully settled into the unclaimed desk.

"Why are you here?"

Balthazar grinned as he pulled out his book and notes, keeping his voice low to avoid angering the teacher who had returned to scribbling on the board. "I didn't like one of the alphas in the Second Period class, so I thought I would move to Third with you. Dean said you could use a study partner." That wasn't _precisely_ true, but the Head Alpha _had_ been the one to suggest the switch. "I'm already in the Pack, so we'll be spending time together anyway."

"I'm going to kill that boy," Crowley grumbled, glaring at his notes. "Why is your scent so strong? I'm used to betas smelling washed-out."

Balthazar grinned as he leaned closer to the omega, his breath warm against Crowley's neck as the omega's chamomile and lemon scent deepened. "Why are you trying so hard to scent me?"

"I'm not! I just . . . we have a rosemary bush in our garden at home and Mother always asks me to cut her sprigs of the stuff for cooking or spells or what the hell ever she does while I'm at school. You smell like that, and it's not what I expected."

"You smell like a cup of tea. Proper, English tea. That's not the normal flowery and fruity scent I'm used to from omegas."

Crowley looked up at the beta, sensing that they had reached some sort of understanding, but not entirely sure how they got there. "No, I suppose not."

"My omega siblings all smell like flowers. Gardenia, cherry blossom, honeysuckle, clover, lily, jasmine, lilac, hyacinth . . . it's like a florist's shop at home. And you know how omegas like to synchronize their heats; one day I'm going to come home and it will be overwhelming."

Crowley nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, alright. Didn't your brother's application mention two alpha brothers, as well?"

"Yeah, Mike and Luci. They aren't home much, but when we were younger, especially when they went into rut, the whole house smelled like peppermint, spearmint, cedar, and pine. Me . . . I guess I'm just in the middle. A little bit of flower scent, a little mint. It's not even strong enough to be a recognizable type of mint, though I think it smells a bit like lemon balm. After being around so many strong scents at home, it is nice that yours is soothing."

Crowley stared at the beta for a long moment, class and teacher forgotten as he tried to figure Balthazar out. "I've never been accused of being soothing before."

Balthazar shrugged, his deep-cut shirt shifting at the movement. Crowley definitely, _definitely_ , didn't look at his chest. "I've dated dozens of men and women in my time: alphas, betas, and omegas depending on my mood. I've always been the most comfortable around men who treat me as an equal." Crowley nodded in understanding. Alphas, especially males, tended to treat male betas worse than omegas, just whores with nothing to offer, no chance of pups in the future, no exciting heats to rile their own urges. And most omegas, of both genders, treated male betas as they would alphas, deferring to them in most sexual situations or using them to get through a heat without the aggression that rutting alphas often displayed.

"I imagine it's hard to find an equal."

The beta shrugged, turning back to his book. They had to at least _pretend_ they were paying attention, just in case the teacher deigned to take five seconds to notice her students. It was rare, but it happened. "I have two dominant alpha brothers, one much more than the other, an omega brother who fights like an alpha, another omega brother big and strong enough to be one who wouldn't hurt a fly, and an omega sister who has been in detention more than Mike and Luci put together. There's no peace at my house, but as soon as I saw you, an omega who struts and postures and so casually stands equal with alphas . . . I was intrigued."

"I'm not all roses and buttercups, Zar. I get into my fair share of fights. I'm not in charge of one of the splinters of the Pack without the ability to defend the kids under my care."

Balthazar looked up and grinned, biting his lower lip in a way that was definitely _not_ distracting in the least. Crowley cursed the slight sweetening of his scent that heralded his arousal, using every mental trick in the book to calm his omega. "It's kind of a turn on, to be honest. I've never met an omega who could defend _me_ from alphas."

Crowley turned back to his book, dark eyes flashing gold at the praise. "Damn."

"What?"

"I hate it when Dean is right."

* * *

"How were your morning classes?"

Cas grinned as Dean joined him at his locker, the alpha's sharp cinnamon scent cutting through the various odors around them. "Better. No one bothered me at all. I get a chance to go talk to my counselor about switching Social Studies to second period and theatre to Seventh, and she said that she thinks it will work out. Hopefully there are empty seats in there and I don't have to move anything else."

"Don't worry, there are," Dean confirmed, grinning as he watched the omega stack his morning books neatly in his locker before reaching for his lunch bag. He frowned as Cas's scent dimmed slightly, the omega's blue eyes falling as he sighed and closed his locker. "Cas, where's your lunch? Are you buying it today?"

"Uh, no, I don't have the money for that. Usually I pack lunch, but today . . . we, uh . . . Gabe and I . . ." Cas hung his head and refused to finish the sentence, trudging toward the cafeteria and the doors that led to the back field.

Dean followed him silently, his own lunch box hanging from his left hand. "Hey, buddy, do you like mac 'n cheese with the little hot dogs in it?" Cas looked up cautiously, nodding his head. Dean silently passed his lunch box over to the dark-haired omega, his green eyes filled with a bright determination.

"I can't take your lunch."

"Don't worry; Sam brings enough to feed an army." Dean smiled gently, pushing the soft-sided box into Cas's hands. "This stuff tastes pretty good; I can promise you."

"Th-thank you, Dean."

Dean led his trainee to the small food prep area against the building, nodding toward a couple of his pack mates as he claimed a microwave and helped Cas heat up his lunch. The school had added the small outside "cooking" station a few years ago after a number of parents complained that they couldn't pack enough healthy variety of food for their pups. The area was open to the outside, but it could be closed off in bad weather and the doors to the cafeteria used. There were three security cameras and a teacher on duty during both lunch periods to make sure that no one tried to use the microwaves irresponsibly, but so far there had been few incidents.

"Hey, Dean."

"Kev." The alpha watched as his young Asian classmate placed two burritos in the microwave beside his, closing the door and punching a couple of buttons. "What's with the wraps? I thought you were on a Mama Winchester diet."

Kevin grinned and took a sip from his bottle of soda, reaching over to clap Cas on the shoulder. The omega smiled shyly at the short alpha, relaxing slightly as he watched his food heat up. "Oh, Sam told me that Gabe forgot to pack a lunch today, so I'm graciously giving up mine. I've got these cold burritos anyway, and I'd never make Sam's new omega eat them." Cas's head shot up at that, wondering if he was reading something into the words, but Kevin was grinning at him as he checked his burritos. "Just like you wouldn't let yours eat these."

"Damn right," Dean grumbled, helping Cas gather his food before leading the omega to the group of picnic tables that his pack had claimed for lunch.

Dean settled between Charlie and Donald, grinning at the older alpha as he bowed and left, joining Akobel at the next table over so Cas could take his seat. Gabriel slid in beside his brother as Sam took the end spot, the two omegas digging into their donated hot lunches while Sam and Dean split a sandwich and a couple of protein bars. Charlie leaned against Dean's side, sipping at what remained of her soup as she nodded toward the Novak brothers.

He leaned close enough to whisper in her ear, the odd, soft mix of magnolia and spruce filling his nose. "They didn't have enough food this morning, so they don't get lunch. I, uh . . . I get the impression that this happens a lot. The younger pups take priority."

Charlie nodded before reaching into her lunch bag again, pulling out a small container filled with sliced strawberries, biting her lip before leaning around Dean. "Hey, Cas, you like these? My mom packed them and I'm not really in the mood for strawberries today."

The omega, having already scarfed down the mac 'n cheese and the oatmeal cookies in the bag, stared at the fruit in Charlie's hand for a moment before nodding and reaching out to take the offering. He split the strawberries with his brother, the brightness in his eyes hinting that it had been some time since they had been offered any. Sam chuckled and rested an arm across Gabe's shoulder, tucking the omega against his side as he finished the fruit and the cookies he found in the lunch box Sam had offered him.

They finished their lunches quickly, Abaddon and her splinter group taking the seats across from them as Kevin tore through his burritos and the two protein bars Sam found for him. The entire table looked up as a wave of silence washed across the Pack, even the last strangled whispers fading away. Crowley had just exited the building, which was uncommon enough on its own, but he wasn't alone. Crowley rarely ate lunch with his pack mates, though he always attended after-school events, and he never spent time with Auxiliary Members. Why, then, was he approaching the picnic tables with a tall beta walking by his side, almost touching him, a teen who was not even a full Pack member?

Balthazar grinned as he realized how much attention they had garnered, raising his free hand and letting it rest gently on Crowley's lower back. The omega twitched at the touch, but he didn't pull away or snap his teeth at the beta, and there was a brief flash of gold in his eyes.

"Damn," Dean breathed, his arm sliding loosely around Cas's waist. "That . . . your brother is a fast worker, Cas."

"You told him to flirt with Crowley," Cas pointed out, grinning at his older brother across the field. Abaddon tapped Max on his shoulder and led the omega to the table where his sister was sitting with Jo and Elvis, Crowley taking the hint and sliding into the empty seat at Dean's table.

"Good to see you Moose, Squirrel."

"Crowley," Sam greeted, eyes flicking to Balthazar before returning to the omega. "So, how was French Lit this morning?"

Balthazar grinned as he placed his lunchbox on the table, a box that had been empty that morning when he left home but was now apparently filled with muffins, cookies, small slices of various types of breads, and a tiny bowl of fruit. "Hungry?"

"Where the hell did you get that?" Crowley accepted the beta's offer, taking a cranberry muffin as Charlie leaned across for a slice of lemon bread.

"The teachers had a meeting this morning before class. I happened to spot the spread on the way to my counselor's office and snagged some for later."

"He's a professional scavenger," Gabriel added, grabbing a couple of chocolate chip cookies as Cas took a blueberry muffin. "Though he rarely acquires food that you can live on, just snacks and muffins and stuff."

Crowley shrugged as he finished his muffin. "It's alright, I guess."

Sam chuckled and packed up the lunch supplies, always the neatest of the three Winchester brothers. "High praise from our demon king."

"King of Hell," Crowley snapped back, his eyes flashing gold in the same way that an alpha's would glow red in anger. "If you're going to insult me, at least be accurate."

"King of Hell?"

Crowley reached over and patted Balthazar's leg, flashing his fangs at the beta. "Maybe one day you'll earn that story, Zar."

"I look forward to it."

* * *

"How was school today?"

"It was good," Cas replied around a mouthful of his sub sandwich. Michael had managed to scrape together enough money for each of them to get an entire footlong sandwich to themselves. Normally, he would be sharing with Gabriel and having to compromise on the meat, but this time he got turkey, ham, and bacon without an argument.

Chuck nodded distractedly, eating his own six-inch sub. He would save the other half for his lunch the next day, the older alpha not needing as much food as his collection of sons. Even Anna was tearing through a whole footlong.

"Balthazar got himself a new boyfriend," Gabe added slyly.

Chuck actually looked up at that, his tired blue eyes focusing on his third son. "Is that so? Tell me about him."

Balthazar shrugged in that one-shoulder sideways manner he had. "He, uh, he's a Senior, an omega who leads his own small part of this Pack that the boys joined. I wouldn't say we're dating exactly, but I think I kinda like him."

"Dean says you're dating," Cas argued, reaching for his bag of chips and carefully opening it. Gabriel was famous for ripping bags open like a savage, but his younger brother preferred to act like he had some level of class. "He said that Crowley letting himself be seen with you today, especially at lunch which he never attends, is him accepting your suit. He wants you to date him, and he has never wanted anyone before."

Balthazar blushed and ducked his head. "I, uh . . . I really like him, yeah. I'm surprised by how fast this happened. Two days is pretty quick even for me."

"I thought you were flirting with those twins, the alpha female and omega male."

The beta grinned at Gabriel's observation. "Yeah, that would have been something. Both of them prefer males, regardless of subgender, and sometimes they share. But, after they saw me with Crowley today, they accepted his dominance, I guess, and backed off."

"You would have liked that," Samandriel pointed out, already well aware of his brother's sexual conquests despite the fact that the skinny young omega was three or four years from presenting.

"Hell yeah I would have liked that, but I might be getting a little tired of these one-night stands and flings. I kinda . . . it sounds weird, but I, uh, I think I finally found someone I would be willing to give all that up for."

Castiel raised one eyebrow, tilting his head curiously. "Balthy . . . you've known him for two days. You can't be willing to settle down yet."

"No," the beta murmured, poking at the last of his sandwich, "but I'm willing to take the time to found out if Crowley is worth it."

Chuck smiled and reached over and patted Balthazar's shoulder. "That's great, son. I'm glad you guys seem to be enjoying your new school. Anna, Samandriel; what about you?"

"I'm going by Alfie now," Samandriel replied, puffing out his chest slightly. "It's easier for people to remember, and it sounds better with Anna's name." It wasn't the first time the young omega, whose middle name was Alfred, had gone by that nickname, but when he was in the same school as his older brothers his first name fit him just fine.

"Fine, Alfie. Tell me about school."

Castiel, reveling in the feeling of a full belly, listened to his younger siblings talk and let a slow smile brighten his face. It was nice to have his whole family together for a meal.

* * *

"Hey, Cas?"

The omega glanced up from his bed and the three shirts laid out there, his irritation at being interrupted fading as he saw what his oldest brother was holding. Michael and Lucifer were both rather lean alphas, though as strong as any of their peers and taller than most, so the clothes they handed down to their younger brother didn't always fit well. Castiel, broader shouldered than the two alphas, was grateful for what they could give him, but he really wished he could get new clothes once in a while. What Michael was holding in his hand was the answer to that wish.

"Mike?"

"I thought you might want something nice to wear to your party today. Luci and I stopped by that Plato's on 23rd and found you guys something new. Well, newer, anyway."

Mike held out a pale gray shirt, bright blue silky overshirt, and dark blue jeans, clothes that his brother gratefully received. "Thank you. I love the color."

"Luci thought it might bring out the color in your eyes. Your alpha'll like that."

Cas blushed and ducked his head, fingers tightening on the fabric in his hands. "H-he's not my alpha. I've only known him a couple of days."

Mike smiled and leaned forward, patting his brother's shoulder. "Cas, I've never seen you so happy. I mean, even if you don't consider him your alpha, you two have a pretty profound bond. You don't have to mate someone for them to have an impact on your life. I thought you might want to look good for him."

"I do," Cas whispered, unable to meet his brother's turquoise eyes. "Thank you."

"Luci's giving Gabe some new clothes, too. Hurry up and get dressed so we can get going."

* * *

The Lawrence Mayoral Mansion was exquisite, larger by far than any house Cas had ever lived in, with colorful flowerbeds in the front and a tall fountain in the center of the circle at the top of the driveway. Michael glanced over his shoulder at the two young omegas in the middle seat as he waited for the car in front of him to discharge its passengers and move into the dedicated parking spots around the side of the building. "Anna, Alfie; you guys need to behave for your brothers today. You are guests here, and I expect you to act as such."

"We will," the two young omegas promised in unison, Anna leaning over to stare out the window at the mass of people gathered in front of the house. "He has a big house."

"His dad's the mayor," Balthazar replied, leaning forward from the back seat so Anna could see him when he spoke. Mike had borrowed Chuck's SUV for the day since his older, smaller car wouldn't hold all seven children. "It's one of the perks." The beta, though technically not a core member of the pack, had still dressed up a bit, having found a low-cut green shirt and light jeans in his closet, not that any of his brothers knew where he got them in the first place. Unlike his younger omega siblings, Balthazar refused to wear hand-me-downs, threadbare clothes from donation bags, or anything from his cousins. Somehow, he managed to get his hands on decent shirts and pants that wouldn't have fit any of his relatives or most of their friends. Whatever he did to find food, clothes, and sometimes working electronics, none of his siblings complained.

"Nice perk," Alfie replied, hands dancing along his belt buckle as he waited for permission to remove it. "Can Dad be mayor so we can have this perk?"

"No, but wait long enough and you can mate one of his sons, move in legit-like," Lucifer purred from his seat beside Michael. The older alpha slapped him on the shoulder, growling something about putting ideas into pups' heads, but it was too late. The youngest Novak bit his lip and narrowed his eyes in thought as he rolled the suggestion around in his mind.

"Uh, but not for many, many years, of course," Gabe corrected, squished between Balthazar and Cas in the back seat. "No need to worry about something like that at your age."

"I'm not worried," Alfie replied cheerfully, his tone indicating that the information had been filed away for later and would be retrieved when required in the future. The boy had an almost eidetic memory, it seemed, and he would gladly use his quick and accurate recollections as tools and weapons to get what he wanted.

Michael eased the SUV to the front of the building, putting it in park and glancing over his shoulder as the beta and four omegas unbuckled their seatbelts and crawled out of the vehicle. "We'll be back at four. Give us a call if you need a pickup sooner."

Cas, the _de facto_ leader of this expedition due to his peaceful relationship with the two alphas, nodded, not bothering to point out that none of them owned a cell phone and he personally considered it rude to ask a near-stranger to borrow theirs. Thankfully, Mike was rarely late picking them up, and he never intentionally missed deadlines. He might not have an omega's willingness to watch pups, but he was relatively responsible and protective of his younger siblings. "Thank you, Mike. Enjoy your day in town. I'll make sure Dean and Sam are here to speak with you when you come back."

"Good. I know I said that we could meet him this morning, but our thing got moved and we can't really be late."

Lucifer nodded, leaning one arm out the window as he watched his siblings move away from the car. "Might end up being a job if we play it right. It would be better than the crap ones we have after school right now."

"Good luck, then," Cas replied, reaching down to let Alfie take his hand as Anna leaned against his side. She had declared years earlier that she was too old to hold hands, except in dangerous situations like visiting crowded stores and crossing the road, but she still took comfort in her brother's touch and scent when they were in strange places.

Balthazar and Gabe waved to their brothers as they drove away, following Cas to the mansion and the teens clustered around it. He knew that every person there was a Pack member or a family member of one, but he couldn't control his instinctive fear response to so many alphas in one spot. Being a Lure meant that his emotions were almost instantly broadcast across the front lawn, despite his best efforts to bury them.

"Surely we aren't _that_ frightening," a female voice soothed from his left. He turned to find an older, blonde omega woman wearing dark jeans and a plaid shirt colored in red and pink, not a style that Cas generally associated with the submissive subgender.

"I didn't mean to," Cas murmured, dropping his eyes to the ground as he tried for a second time to get his fear under control. His doctor had told him once, when he was much younger, that he had the option to wear blockers that would dampen his scent and keep it from traveling so far. Unfortunately, scent blockers had to be individually tailored to each user, and no insurance would cover them for a pre-heat omega. Chuck certainly couldn't afford it, so Cas learned to control his emotions. It worked, for the most part.

"There's nothing wrong with being nervous," the omega soothed, reaching out to wrap an arm around Cas's shoulder, Alfie squeezed between them. Her scent was soothing, reminding him of a brook rushing through an early spring forest, and he let it wrap around him. "There, that's better. I'm Mary; who might you young pups be?"

"I'm not young," Anna answered sharply, olive green eyes flashing at the blonde woman. "I'm already thirteen!"

"This is Anna," Cas introduced, smiling at the pup's righteous indignation. "And Alfie, who would tell you that he's twelve if he wasn't so shy in front of strangers."

"I'm Balthazar, this is Gabriel, and that's Castiel," his beta brother finished.

Mary's eyes widened in shock, though her scent remained calm. "You're the Novaks! My boys have not shut up about you since you joined that Pack of theirs."

"You're Dean's mother?"

"Yeah. Nice to meet you, Castiel."

"You can call me Cas," the teen replied, trying to free enough of an arm to shake Mary's hand.

"Well, Cas, Dean was so excited about you visiting that he is in his room changing his shirt for the fifth time this morning." Mary grinned at Cas's blush, using the arm she had wrapped around his shoulder to steer him toward the house. "John's out back with the parents and most of the older teens, but I'll take you in to wait for my boys. Balthazar—assuming your name is as unique as I think it is—Crowley has been looking for you. And, I've got to admit, this is probably the first time he's showed up to one of our cookouts voluntarily."

The lanky beta grinned and slipped his hands in his pockets. "I'm sure I'll see him around."

Gabe rolled his eyes at his brother's cocky attitude, but he knew that Balthazar and Crowley were locked in some sort of power struggle, made all the more interesting by the fact that he was a pretty laid-back beta, if not actually submissive, and Crowley was a rather dominant omega. It would be interesting to see which of them won.

* * *

 **AN:** This chapter and the next two were all one and therefore too long, so I decided to cut this one to be more Crowley/Balthy centric (Crowlazar? Balthley? What would their ship name be?), the second to be Destiel, and the third to be more Sabriel with some Destiel and Benny/Gadreel (Bendreel? Nah idk)


	6. Pack Gatherings

Chapter 6: Pack Gatherings

* * *

"Cas!" Dean thundered down the stairs, reaching the cluster of Novaks and wrapping his trainee in a tight hug. Cas leaned into the embrace, soaking in that cinnamon aroma he was growing to enjoy, the last of his trepidation fading. "I was worried you wouldn't make it."

"Your mother said you changed your shirt multiple times in anticipation of my arrival," Cas countered, touching the gray and green flannel shirt and grinning. "Good choice."

Dean blushed, every freckle on his face standing in stark relief against the bright backdrop. "Yeah, well, you look pretty nice, yourself."

"Thank you." He glanced down at the two younger omegas still glued to his side, neither of them old enough to have much of a scent. "This is Samandriel, who is going by Alfie at the moment, and Anna, who does not allow any shortening or changing of her name."

Dean suppressed a grin as he crouched down to greet the children, jade eyes sparkling as he leaned close enough to whisper to Anna. "You know, we're going to be talking about boring high school things like homework and our teachers, and I think that wouldn't be much fun for you. However, there's a group of pups about your age in the side yard at the bouncy castle, and I'll bet they could use some new friends."

Alfie glanced at his sister, almost vibrating with eager anticipation, but the older omega calmly took his hand and turned back to face Dean. "Yes, I suppose that would be acceptable," she replied, a touch of imperiousness in her young voice. Dean grinned as he pointed toward a pair of parents standing in the back of the room, clearly there to direct children to the castle so their older siblings could enjoy themselves. Anna bowed in thanks before headed off, her brother trying to drag her faster so he could go bounce.

"Are they going to be okay out there?"

"They'll be fine, Cas. Some of the parents and younger teens are watching them. Actually, I think Adam just headed out with another couple pitchers of juice, and he's pretty responsible." Dean threw an arm around Cas's shoulder and started to lead him through the huge living room toward the back patio, glancing around in confusion as they walked. "Where're Gabriel and Balthazar? I thought they were coming with you."

"They did. Sam found Gabe as soon as your mother led us in here, and I think they're already outside. Balthy, though he would deny it, went looking for Crowley to prove to his new friend that he _wasn't_ looking for him."

Dean chuckled. "Those two are interesting. Come on, I want you to meet the rest of my family. Most of my cousins showed up, so it's quite the party out there."

Cas grinned, Dean's excitement infecting him, as well. His honeysuckle scent brightened as the alpha dragged him outside, blinking in the bright sunlight as he took a moment to breathe in all of the scents filling the back yard. It was significantly larger than the front yard, a small covered porch spilling out onto a huge patio covered in cushioned chairs, standalone swings, mosaic glass tables, and colorful potted plants. There were three large gas grills built into the wall along the outside of the patio, a tall, dark-haired alpha dominating that space as many of the other alphas flitted around him as pack members tended to do near their leader.

Dean caught Cas's eye, smiling as he pulled the omega forward. "Yeah, that's my dad. He really looks the part of a Head Alpha, don't you think? I can't wait until it's my turn to take over." He kept his tone light, but Cas could tell that he was worried about that future, about living up to his dad's expectations of his future role as Head Alpha.

"Is that how it works? Will you inherit his job?"

Dean shrugged as they inched closer to his father, still blocked by some of his older relatives. "Not technically. I mean, it is still politics, but the Winchesters have been mayor of this city for generations. I mean, I'll start out assisting on Dad's staff, maybe run for a position in the City Council if I do a good job. In Lawrence, the mayor is appointed by the Council, the members of which are elected every four years. It's a bit of a compromise between small towns where the mayor tends to be appointed by the other alphas and the largest cities where every position is elected. We considered a full election system a few years ago, but the city voted against it."

"They didn't like the uncertainty in that system," John interjected, stepping away from the grill as he heard his son approach. He tapped a tall, bald man on the shoulder as he passed, silently asking the other alpha to watch the grill as he moved away. The rest of the gathered adults moved away, giving their leader some privacy. "They were worried that some untried young alpha would bully his way through the elections and make a shit show of this government. The mayor has to be a reliable, level-headed, _protective_ force in government."

"Your town has quite the reputation for a steady government, strong economy, and a long history of protecting your omegas," Cas replied, his US History classes paying off for possibly the first time in his life. "We read your father's book, _The Men of Letters_ , about the benefits of your mixed type of elected and appointed government last year."

John's blue eyes widened in shock, nodding slowly at the omega teen. "You read his book? I didn't know it was taught in schools outside of Kansas. Dean says you're from Illinois."

Cas, who was normally shy around strange alphas, felt himself drawn out of his shell by the tall mayor's charisma and confident smile. "I was in an honors class, and we got to choose the book for our year-end research paper. I liked the idea of an alpha who intentionally protected the omegas under his care. I haven't . . . I haven't seen that often in my life."

"Dean says you were getting harassed a bit at school."

Cas nodded. "He put a stop to it, even before Gabe and I joined the Pack. I'm grateful for what he did for a stranger."

John grinned and clapped a hand on Dean's shoulder, the teen already as tall as his father and growing into a frame that would match the older alpha's one day. "I trained my boys to take care of the weaker members of their pack, especially our newest arrivals. I hope he's made your move to Lawrence a little more pleasant."

Cas smiled and bowed his head briefly toward the alpha, knowing that breaking eye contact was a sign of trust, especially when he wasn't technically a member of John Winchester's pack. "I think you did a pretty good job." He felt Dean preen beside him, the alpha resting his arm across his trainee's shoulder as Cas reached out one hand toward John. "I'm Castiel Novak. Cas."

John reached out and gently shook Cas's hand, not touching the omega's wrist or letting his wrist brush against the teen's fingers. Most alphas Cas had interacted with would have curled their hand to ensure that he carried their scent all day, but the Mayor of Lawrence was reserved and polite. He would never force his scent on someone. "It's good to meet you, Cas. I'm John, as you already know, and I'm sure my lovely lawyer mate is around here somewhere."

"She escorted us in, actually. She's very nice."

John chuckled at that, clapping the young omega on the shoulder and pulling him back toward the grill. "Well said, my boy. Have you ever manned a grill before? There are some annoying sycophants over here you ought to meet."

"I resent that remark," the tall, bald alpha growled, though his tone was teasing as he yielded his position to John. Dean followed behind the pair, content to stay back and watch his new friend and his father bond. "Who's the pup?"

"This is Dean's new trainee, Cas. He just moved here from Illinois, Samuel, so play nice."

"Who said I'm not nice?" The bald alpha grinned as he passed the tongs back to John, wiping his hands on his heavy apron as he nodded at Cas. "Good to meet you, boy. I'm Samuel Campbell, Mary's father. You've met my grandsons already, I'm guessing. Sam was named after me, and Dean was named after my wife, Deanna."

"Yeah, rub it in, Granddad," Dean snapped, no real fire in his eyes as he put up with the ribbing.

Cas tilted his head at Samuel, blue eyes widening as his name sunk in. "Samuel _Campbell_? From the Kansas City Campbells?"

John rolled his eyes and pressed the tongs into Cas's hand, pulling the omega closer to the grill where rows of corn wrapped in their shucks were waiting to be turned over. He helped the teen flip the first two, watching carefully as Cas finished the rest of them. "Don't encourage him. He's gotten out of politics in the last few years, but he's still a big name over there." He made sure that Cas was watching the corn before he moved over to the hotdogs, shoving Samuel out of the way as the older alpha chuckled. "Half of his family lives here now, in my pack, and don't think for a second that it doesn't bother him."

"Just shut up and cook the meat," Samuel replied, nodding as another older beta brought him a beer. "Dean, take your friend out to hang out with the kids in the yard and I'll finish the corn."

"No problem, Granddad," Dean replied, pulling Cas away as John's friends moved closer to him again. It was similar to the way the teens in the Pack had mobbed Dean the afternoon when Cas had been accepted as his trainee. As an omega, Cas's pack instincts weren't well developed at all, but he understood why the lower-ranked alphas wanted to be as close to their leader as possible. His own instincts just urged him to find a strong alpha or beta who had a good position in their own pack to ensure the safety and survival of his own future pups.

Cas felt a tug on his arm as Dean slowed to a halt, concerned green eyes catching his. "What?"

"You kinda zoned out there for a minute, Cas. What were you thinking about?"

"Just the different ways alphas and omegas approach pack position," the younger teen admitted. "For you, it's everything; most alphas will spend their lives fighting to climb as high on the ladder as possible and repel any challengers to their position."

Dean shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Maybe a bit more for me, since my dad's Head Alpha and most people pretty much expect me to take over one day. How do omegas approach it?"

"Honestly, until Gabe told me about your pack, I just assumed that omegas didn't have a place in that structure. We just want mates that are ranked highly enough to give our pups a good start in life, and anything beyond that is unimportant. Since I'm not old enough to have pups, I never considered joining one before."

"That's one of the reasons my cousins started the Pack in the first place. Christian, who runs the college version right now, is an alpha, but his youngest brother Gadreel is an omega. He wanted to make sure that all of his family members had some sort of structure to support them through high school and into college, especially once he saw how some of the teen alphas treated the less aggressive subgenders. I'm all for ending the anti-omega stigma that packs have; after all, it's the twenty-first century and your subgender shouldn't determine your place in society."

Cas grinned and ducked his head, a gesture that Dean was learning meant he was somewhat embarrassed but happy. "Thank you. It _is_ nice."

"Dean! There you are, Chief." A tall, bulky alpha with pale blue eyes and matching brown hair and beard approached the pair, pulling Dean into a tight hug. "I wondered where you got off to. Who is your attractive new friend?"

Cas blushed at the compliment, not really used to receiving them, and tucked himself against Dean's side. "I'm Cas," he replied softly, not raising his eyes to meet the alpha's. All of his instincts told him that this man was another highly ranked alpha, maybe even a Head Alpha or Second, but not from Dean's pack. His omega was worried about being caught in an altercation between the two.

"Hey, Cas, it's alright," Dean soothed, turning his back on Benny to calm the younger omega. He understood, as the Head Alpha of such a diverse pack, what Cas was thinking. "We're in the same pack, pretty much. We aren't going to fight, okay?"

Cas nodded, his scent calming as he basked in the heat of Dean's hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, I just . . . I'm not used to being around a pack I'm not related to."

"It'll get easier, _cher_ , I promise," Benny added, not bothering to offer his hand to the timid raven-haired teen. He knew better than to push interaction with a new omega, especially one who hadn't figured out his place in the Pack. "Come and meet my fiancé."

Cas and Dean followed the alpha into the cluster of teens and college students milling around the back yard. Many of them were holding cups of juice or soda, some had small plates of chips or other snacks, and all of them moved when Benny and Dean strolled through them. Another tall alpha greeted the pair as they passed by, a brunet with light eyes and the easy smile of a Head Alpha. That must be Christian, Cas mused, Dean's cousin who ran the Pack at KU. He was a senior, though, and would graduate this year, so Benny was being groomed to take over.

Benny stopped next to another incredibly tall brunet man with light eyes, this one with sharper cheekbones and a squarer chin than Christian. There was something about him that marked the man as another Campbell son, but an omega one. The young man grinned at Benny as the three approached, leaning forward to nuzzle him before turning to greet Dean. "Cousin, it is good to see you. I looked for you when I arrived, but Aunt Mary said that you were preening for your new trainee." His freesia and lavender scent brightened as he spotted Castiel, holding out his hand in greeting.

Omegas didn't shakes hands when they greeted each other. They generally craved much more tactile interactions than the more dominant subgenders, so invariably a greeting between two omegas, even strangers, ended in a hug. Cas reached for Gadreel's hand, gripping just below his elbow as he leaned close enough to scent the older man, letting Dean's cousin pull him close enough for a quick hug. He might have problems learning now to interact with alphas and betas in the Pack, but omegas he was completely comfortable with. "I'm Cas."

"Good to meet you, brother. I hope my cousin has been treating you well at Lawrence High."

"Yes, he has. I'm not your brother."

Benny laughed at that, reaching over to run his fingers through Gadreel's light brown hair. "He calls everyone in the Pack either brother or sister. You'll learn soon enough that he has a number of quirks, though most of them adorable"

" _All_ of them are adorable," Gadreel corrected. "Cas, don't mind my fiancé; he's just jealous that I had more trainees in High School than he did."

"You cheated! You took Dean and Akobel in the same year, even though half the Council voted against it. The only reason it was allowed was because Akobel had joined as an Aux earlier that year and we were very impressed with how he mentored and protected omegas in his own grade without being a full member, let alone a mentor."

"Less than half voted against it or the motion wouldn't have passed," Gadreel pointed out. "Not that the Council was very large back then. It was you, me, and Clea."

Dean snorted, throwing an arm around Cas's shoulder. "You should have seen the argument. I was guaranteed a spot for the family reason, and Gadreel offered to mentor me since he did so well with Abaddon the year before. He has a knack for helping alphas find their place in the Pack and learn how to lead others without resorting to violence. Every one of his trainees was an alpha. Just before winter break, he pointed out that Akobel was a fantastic member, even as an Aux, and he deserved a place in the Pack, preferably that year so that he could become a mentor as a Sophomore. Benny argued against it, Christian was on the fence, and Clea was all for trying something new. I convinced Christian that the worst that would happen would be that Akobel didn't do as well as Gad thought he could and we'd take him as a trainee the next year."

Gadreel grinned, leaning against Benny's side. "Akobel impressed everyone, and we promoted him to mentor status the next fall. He did a great job with Lily and I heard that he got Adam this year. All three of my cousins were in my splinter of the Pack."

Cas smiled before tilting his head curiously. "Dean told me that they prefer that family members don't mentor each other."

"Close family members like siblings, no. But there are so many Winchester and Campbell relatives in this town that it would be an almost impossible rule to enforce. Anyway, we keep siblings from mentoring each other, and we try to keep first cousins separate, but there was some concern that no one could handle Dean _except_ a close relative. He's what we call an Anchor Alpha, one with too much scent and way too much testosterone."

Dean mock-growled at that, intentionally sharpening the cinnamon in his scent as Gad laughed at him. "He used the same excuse to mentor Sam, who by the way is not an aggressive alpha at all and certainly isn't an Anchor."

"The special ones take careful handling," Gadreel replied diplomatically.

"Yeah, sure," Dean accepted, glancing over his shoulder at the milling crowd. "I'm going to go grab some of that mixed berry punch Mom made and see if I can find Sam and Gabe. You want anything Cas?"

"Some punch would be nice, thank you." Cas watched as Dean walked away, recognizing the alpha's subtle request that he try to be more comfortable around Benny. He knew that Gadreel's fiancé was one of Dean's best friends, and he wanted to get along. "This Pack thing was my brother's idea, actually. We come from a much smaller town where everybody knew each other, so if an alpha harassed one of us, their parents would hear from my dad or brothers."

Benny tilted his head. "Were you getting harassed at Lawrence High? I thought that had died down somewhat with the Pack there. There might only be three dozen main members, but there were something like three times that with Aux status who are supposed to be protecting the vulnerable teens."

Cas shrugged. "I don't know. The ones bothering me were on the football team, Alastair and a few of his friends. Dean took care of them before I even joined the pack."

Gadreel rolled his eyes. "Alastair was always a problem. He had his first rut really young, and I think it fucked with his head. He and Dean have clashed a lot over the years. I don't understand why he was bothering you, though; Dean said you were unpresented."

Cas nodded. "I am. Just . . . what do you smell?"

Benny shrugged, closing his eyes for a moment and taking a quick whiff. "The leftovers of Dean's cinnamon, which I'm sure is always present in his back yard, a faint hint of Gadreel's aroma, and the honeysuckles on the fence. Maybe clover, too."

Cas grinned and pointed at the fence that ringed the back yard, a fence that was free of any vines or bushes. Benny followed his finger, eyes widening as he realized what he was smelling. "I don't see any clover, either, but it's a bit late in the year for them to be blooming, anyway."

"That's you? Geez . . . it's everywhere. It's not overwhelming like Dean's scent, but it's just . . . there. You aren't even presented yet; I shouldn't be able to smell you at all."

"You're a Lure?" Gad's eyes widened as he leaned close enough to be certain that what he was detecting was Cas's scent and not something environmental. "You still smell young, but yeah, definitely strong. It's not sweet enough to indicate that you're close to your first heat, but an alpha wouldn't be able to tell that."

"No," Cas replied, shaking his head. "They're all pretty much sure I'm ready."

"Which is why I had to get in Alastair's face," Dean added, returning with two cups of punch. "Gad's the one who told me about Lures in the first place." Dean glanced over his shoulder, finally spotting his brother in the crowd, and he waved at him. "Cas; Sam and Gabe are over by the tables. Go snag us a seat, will ya? I'll be over in a minute."

"Sure, Dean." Cas headed off into the crowd, still a little surprised that they moved aside for him, but everyone in the Pack knew he was Dean's trainee by now, so it was something he would have to get used to.

"What is it, Chief?"

Dean turned back to Gad, pulling his cousin and best friend close enough that no one could hear their conversation. "After Jo identified Cas as a Lure, I remembered some of what you told me about them and I did some research on my own. Most Lures don't mature until after their first heat, normally not until the second or third."

Gadreel nodded. "That's correct. Before then, they smell a bit stronger than an unpresented omega should, but nothing overwhelming."

"Why is Cas's scent so strong, then? It's way more than I thought a Lure would have."

"I've heard of it," Benny mused, "but since your boy was unpresented I never even considered the possibility. There have been Lures whose scent strengthened before their first heat, but it made that first one all the more dangerous. You were kind of an early bloomer, too; your scent was strong back when you were thirteen, if I recall. I'm sure you don't remember much of what you went through, but your first rut was really hard on you. Thankfully, you hit it on a school break and we just took you home for your dad to deal with, but you were ready to fight any of us for no reason just because you caught a whiff of an omega in the park."

Dean nodded slowly, staring at the dark red punch in his cup. "When Cas goes into heat . . ."

"You had better hope he doesn't do it at school. There are hundreds of presented alphas and dominant betas who wouldn't bother to hold themselves back from someone who smells like he does, and Alastair will be the least of your problems. We've done a pretty good job of teaching Pack members to control their urges around heats and ruts, but you might want to go over that again with your leaders. Put them on alert."

"We'll have enough warning, I'm sure, to get him a week off from school."

Gadreel nodded. "You should. I knew about two or three days before my first heat hit that it was coming. Just . . . watch out for him, cousin." There was an unspoken _don't let us down_ , in Gadreel's words, and Dean nodded in acceptance of that. The Pack had been created to protect the weaker students at Lawrence High, and overwhelmingly that population was omega. Dean couldn't fail his first trainee, and he couldn't fail to protect an omega just after gaining his Head Alpha position.

A call from his father ended the conversation, John announcing that the food was ready. Dean took a calming breath and cleared his scent, heading back toward the house where Cas had found them seats at the long, plastic picnic tables. He was more determined than ever to be a good mentor to this intriguing young omega.


	7. Pack Bonding Rituals

Chapter 7: Pack Bonding Rituals

* * *

Sam led Gabriel to the long row of white folding tables, each covered with a simple, plastic red checkered tablecloth. Mary's touch, obviously, because John wouldn't have cared one way or another what the tables looked like. "I saw Dean heading out to the field with two cups of punch, so I'm sure he's going to grab Cas and join us."

Gabriel nodded as he picked a chair near a row of empty ones, certain that his brothers would gravitate toward the few Pack mates they really knew. "So what's your dad cooked up for us?"

Sam settled into his folding chair, his frame too long and lanky for such a small seat, but he made it work anyway. "Dad and the dominant members of the pack have been grilling hotdogs, hamburgers, barbequed pork, corn on the cob, chicken, and an assortment of vegetable kabobs. Mom and her friends got mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, a variety of beans, lots of summer fruit, and some variety of breads. There are also cookies, cakes, pies, and candy, though you'll have to fight the little kids for that."

"I'm sure I'll win," Gabe replied cheekily.

Sam shook his head, hazel eyes sparkling with green. "I don't know; some of them are twice your size."

Gabriel puffed out his chest, the soft lavender fabric of his button-up shirt stretching slightly. "I can take 'em, Sammykins."

Sam grinned and ducked his head, letting his hair fall over his face. "You know, you can keep trying out as many nicknames as you want, but really Sam is just fine."

"He is at that," Gabe purred, his eyes flashing true _omega_ gold for a moment.

Sam blushed, which was unusual for the young alpha, and cleared his throat in a quick change of subject. He almost couldn't believe that this blonde omega had gained such confidence in such a short period of time. "Who turned you into such a flirt?"

Gabe grinned and ducked his head. "I used to be more outgoing before we moved, and I must have flirted with half the presented alphas in my old school, some of them before I had my first heat. After that . . . well, the eyes combined with my more _adult_ scent made it hard to stay away from the unsavory alphas in the student body and I kinda closed off a bit."

Sam reached out to run his fingers through Gabe's shoulder-length blonde hair, smiling softly as the omega's scent deepened. "Flirt with me all you want, Gabe. I'm just glad I make you feel safe enough to express yourself naturally."

Before Gabe could answer, his younger brother slid into the chair beside him, a cup of punch in his hand and a hint of cinnamon still clinging to him. "Hello Sam."

"Hey, Cas. Where's my brother?"

The raven-haired omega shrugged. "He sent me to find a seat while he spoke with Benny and Gadreel. I think he is following soon." He looked around, spotting a few Pack members he recognized but not the siblings he expected to find. "Where are Alfie and Anna?"

"The pups are eating in the side yard under the watchful eyes of Adam, Christian's mate Arlene, and a handful of younger Pack members."

Cas's scent sharpened in alarm, the omega taking a deep breath to calm himself before speaking. "Are any of them actually adults? I'm responsible for my siblings."

"Don't worry, Cas; Arlene is absolutely in charge over there, and any Pack mates who are with her are going to be on their best behavior. She's about twelve weeks pregnant and she's gotten very motherly and nesty recently."

Cas nodded and took a sip of his drink. "I wish her luck with Anna."

* * *

Arlene handed Anna a cup of juice and sent her to a table filled mostly with alpha pups and the stray beta, already knowing that she preferred the company of other dominant children. It had taken her some time to understand the redheaded girl, but they were getting along pretty well now. Anna's younger brother was the exact opposite of his sister; he was a steady, level-headed boy who listened to orders and strove to please the adults around him. She had sent him to sit at the table where Adam was watching over most of the calm omega pups and the younger betas, knowing that her cousin could handle the youngest Novak boy.

Alfie, a plate of food in one hand and a cup of juice in the other, settled down at the table Arlene had pointed at, smiling at the teen alpha male already sitting there. A couple of omega pups were sitting nearby, but the tall teen was alone, so Alfie decided that he needed some company.

"Hi! I'm Alfie Novak."

The teen, his light blue eyes rising to meet Alfie's hazelnut brown, offered a quick smile and held out his hand. "I'm Adam Winchester. You must be Cas and Gabe's younger brother."

Alfie grinned and shook Adam's hand, a sly calculation in his eyes. "Yes, I am. And you're Dean and Sam's younger brother."

"I am. How are you enjoying the party?"

Alfie turned to his plate and dug into the food, watching Adam do the same out of the corner of his eye. They were alone at their end of the table, close enough to speak to the other youngsters if they wanted to, but with some small amount of privacy. Alfie studied this older alpha, trying to determine his age as he tore into the mashed potatoes. His own sense of smell was still weak and it would be until he got nearer his first heat, but he could easily tell that Adam hadn't had his first rut yet. He was in Cas's High School, though, so he must be around fourteen years old, only two older than Alfie. "It's very fun," the omega finally answered. "I've never played in one of those bouncy castles before but I've always wanted to. And the games were fun, too. Did you plan any of this, Adam?"

"I helped a little. Mom and Auntie Arlene did most of it. She's not really my aunt, she's mated to my cousin, but we all just call her that. Everyone seemed to enjoy it."

"Do you do that sort of thing a lot? With the castle and all that?"

Adam shook his head as he glanced down the table to watch two of the young omega girls lean close together and growl, a fight that ended as soon as it started. As soon as he determined that he wasn't needed, the alpha turned back to his companion, the oldest omega at the table. "No, not really. We're pretty normal usually, at least I think so. Dean and Sam like to point out that we have more advantages than the average family and we mustn't ever feel that we are better than anyone else. We do chores like everyone, cut our own grass, tend Mom's garden, and go out to cheap baseball games as a family. We do this extravagance for all of you."

"We don't have a garden," Alfie murmured. "I've helped Auntie Amara with her flowers before, and it was sorta fun. I've never been to a real baseball game, though. That sounds fun."

Adam brightened at that, clearly happy that his young companion had expressed even a slight amount of interest in a subject he loved dearly. "It is! Do you know much about baseball?"

"One of the guys at my old school liked to bring a ball and gloves to recess and let us catch it. I wasn't very good at that, but I liked it when he let me throw the ball."

"We go a lot, and Dad always takes me for my birthday because it's my favorite sport. This year the last game of the season is on September 29th, which is my birthday, and we're going. There are a couple of games over the next month we're going to before that. You should come to the next one and I can teach you everything about it."

Alfie straightened at that, his pale eyes widening as he forgot about his food and just stared at the older teen. No one outside of his family had ever invited him to anything before, and it had been a long time since the Novaks had done anything as a family other than their weekly dinner out. "You . . . you're inviting me to go with your family to watch baseball? Won't your dad mind?"

Adam shrugged. "I don't know why he would. He's the mayor so he can go for free whenever he wants, and he always brings his family. One more pup won't make a difference."

Alfie shrunk back slightly, some of Castiel's reserve evident in his stance. Of all of the Novak children, Alfie was the most light his raven-haired omega brother, and neither one of them was willing to inconvenience someone else to receive some small pleasure of their own. "I can't, Adam. I don't want to impose on your family. You barely know me."

Adam was an alpha son of John Winchester and the brother of Sam and Dean, all of whom had taught him to care for and protect anyone weaker than himself. This skinny omega boy, who couldn't be more than twelve, certainly fell into that category. He reached out and wrapped an arm around Alfie's shoulders, waiting for the youngest Novak to relax and lean against his side before speaking. "Trust me, you won't be an inconvenience. Sam and Dean only go for the first and last games of the Major League season and once they went to the World Series when Mom got us all tickets to Game 7. They don't care much about the sport, they rarely go to any Minor League games, and I have no one to talk to. It would be nice to have you go with me. I'll even buy you a hotdog."

Alfie grinned and leaned closer to Adam, finally able to catch a hint of the alpha's faint scent. It wouldn't be fully developed until Adam had his first rut, but the omega could almost detect a hint of ginger. "Balthy says that when you take someone to a special place and buy them food, it's called a date. Would this be a date?"

Adam smiled softly and ruffled Alfie's short brown hair. He was starting to like this kid, some of his underdeveloped alpha instincts encouraging him to reach out to the young omega. "If I called it a date, would you stop worrying about inconveniencing my family? Come with me, have some fun. We're going next Saturday, just a Minor League game in Topeka, and I think you'll enjoy it."

Alfie found himself nodding, reaching for his plate again as his stomach reminded him that it was still partly empty. "If my brothers say it's okay, I'd love to go with you."

Adam grinned and reached for his own food, freeing his arm from Alfie's shoulders but not moving away from the boy. "It's a date."

* * *

Dean finally rejoined Cas as the omega lined up to fill his oversized paper Chinet plate, relaxing slightly as the familiar cinnamon scent enveloped him and momentarily overwhelmed the wonderful aroma of the food. "Heya, Cas. Ready to dig in?"

"Yeah. Everything looks wonderful. I don't know where to begin."

Dean placed his free hand on Cas's lower back, guiding the omega toward the meat piled up near the grills. "Just take a little of everything. You can always have seconds and I'll eat anything you don't like." He piled some pork barbeque onto both of their plates, adding a hotdog, grilled corn, and one of the skewers of chicken and vegetables his mother had spent the morning cutting up and seasoning. He led Cas to the second table and spooned mashed potatoes, green beans, black-eyed peas, baked beans, lima beans, some sort of mac and cheese casserole, cornbread, potato salad, pasta salad, deviled eggs, and candied yams onto both plates, plopping a couple of rolls on top and eyeing the fruit and dessert tables as they passed.

"Dean, I can't possibly eat all this food."

"Sure you can," the alpha replied, steering his trainee back to their seats. Sam and Gabe had already returned from the food line, Crowley taking a place opposite the four as Balthazar slid into the seat beside him. "Balthy, there you are. I thought you'd gotten lost. Your brothers were worried about you."

The lean beta snorted and dug into his mashed potatoes. "Highly doubt that. Crowley has been showing me around the front gardens; very impressive."

Dean rolled his eyes, but he didn't bother to comment. There were parts of the front gardens that were dominated by tall trees and thick bushes, perfect places for a pair of horny teens to find some privacy. A quick sniff soothed any fears that the two had done anything other than kiss and grope, but Dean could tell it would only be a matter of time before the beta broke down the last of his old friend's walls. "As long as you enjoyed yourself."

"Hmm, very much so," Crowley answered casually as he sipped his punch. "If I'd known your little get-togethers were this much fun, I might have shown up years ago."

Cas and Gabe managed to completely ignore their older brother as they dug into their food, having not eaten much for breakfast in preparation for this feast. Sam offered them a painted glass vial of hot pepper vinegar for the barbeque, the condiments for their hotdogs in the center of the table and easily accessible. "Mom grows the hot peppers herself and we use this vinegar on everything from barbeque to collards to French fries," Sam explained, already mostly finished with his plate and watching in amazement as the pint-sized omega next to him decimated his.

"Vinegar does not belong on French fries," Dean countered, swallowing both of his deviled eggs quickly and moving onto his pasta salad. "Fries should be eaten with ketchup and that is all."

"One day I hope you develop taste buds," Sam countered sweetly, leaning forward far enough to catch his brother's eye across Cas's plate. "Don't infect these guys with your misguided notions about food, okay?"

"Cas is a warrior, like me," Dean countered. "Don't try to make him eat all of your damned rabbit food. Or vinegar on fries."

Balthazar chuckled from his side of the table, scooping another spoonful of beans as the two alphas glanced his way. "Cassie might be the healthiest one of us, Dean. Hate to break it to you. Gabe, however, is terrified of green food."

"It's not natural," the smaller omega grumbled, biting into his corn on the cob. "He cooked this on a grill? This is amazing!"

"The lemon pepper butter is the trick," Sam replied. "When you guys have finished this, we can grab some watermelon, cake, pie, and cookies from the other table."

Dean, who had already managed to clear that absolute mountain of food from his plate, grabbed Cas's arm eagerly and stared at the dessert table. "Mom made cherry pies, and Grandma brought pecan and pumpkin. Hurry up so we can get some before everyone else descends!"

Cas grinned and hurried to finish his serving, Dean's excitement infectious. He still couldn't believe that he had only known the alpha for a few days; this was the most _home_ he had felt in a decade. He was going to find a way to make sure this feeling never ended.

* * *

Dean leaned back in the swing on the side porch of the mansion, Cas cuddled against his side as they both relaxed after their enormous meals. The omega purred softly every time the swing moved, Dean gently running his fingers through Cas's hair to encourage the sound. Like most omegas, Cas craved physical touch, wanting it from his family, fellow omegas, and his alpha. All of the Pack members in attendance had taken time to greet Dean, usually offering Cas a quick hug or a nuzzle depending on their subgender and position in the hierarchy. He had been shocked at first, but soon realized that his new school family wanted him to feel welcome and loved, so their instincts demanded that they cover him in their scents. Now all of those aromas had merged together into one comforting Pack scent, the thread of Dean's cinnamon holding it all together. Warmed by the sun and the knowledge that he _belonged_ , Cas nuzzled deeper into Dean's arms and dozed off.

Sam leaned against a huge maple tree that overlooked the front yard, hazel eyes trained on Gabe as the omega ran around with some of the other teens in an impromptu game of football. Even though most of the others were bigger and taller than the blonde omega, Gabe was too fast and agile for most of them to catch. He got his hands on the ball again and again, inexplicably punching through the other team's defensive line to score touchdowns, executing the most unbelievable plays. His team captain, Abaddon, mocked Crowley across the field, while their quarterback, Randy, whispered plays to the blonde and pointed out the weaknesses in their opponents. Sam, who had been voted too large to play as long as there were Freshmen on the teams, was perfectly happy to referee from his seat.

He caught his mother's comforting scent a moment before she settled into the grass beside him, Mary reaching out to squeeze his shoulder gently before turning back to the game. "That's some omega you're mentoring this year, Sam. Did you see how much food he put away?"

Sam chuckled. "I didn't know a single person could eat so much. I thought I had a healthy appetite, but he blew me out of the water. Honestly, I don't know how he's running around out there without making himself sick."

"He's a growing boy and it's been less than a year since his first heat. That kind of appetite is natural. Remember how Dean was just after his first rut? I couldn't keep food in the house."

"That hasn't changed much, to be honest, Mom."

"No, I guess it hasn't," Mary chuckled, turning back to watch the game. "Make sure Gabe and his siblings all take home some leftovers. We always have so much after these cookouts, and I hate for it to go to waste."

Sam leaned forward as Gabriel caught the ball and made a run for it, moving across the field faster than any of his opponents thought he could. Two of the Seniors on the other team moved to block him, the lithe omega jumping up and _rolling_ over one of their backs, sliding between the other's legs before landing on the other side of the white line chalked in the grass.

Abaddon laughed maniacally as she pulled the short omega into a tight hug, the rest of the team gathering around him and cheering at their victory. Crowley, despite the scowl on his face, patted his new pack mate on the shoulder, congratulating him before leading his own team back to the dessert table. Gabriel bounced over to the edge of the field, collapsing by Sam's side as Kevin tossed him a water bottle. "That was great!"

Sam chuckled and let the omega cuddle under his arm as he leaned back against the tree. "You play pretty well, you know. Despite being half the size of most of the other players."

Gabe chuckled and chugged his water, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. Normally, he wouldn't hesitate to use his shirt, but this was one that his brothers had just bought for him from Plato's Closet and he didn't want to ruin it. "I used to play against my brothers and their friends back home. They always underestimated me, being an omega and all."

"I'm surprised Cas doesn't play, as big as he is," Mary commented casually.

Gabe shrugged. "Cassie is a pacifist. He doesn't like to fight or wrestle like the rest of us. Even Balthy will scuffle from time to time, but my innocent little brother stays on the sidelines. He's a peacekeeper, probably the most omega of us, despite his size."

Sam reached up and ran his fingers through Gabriel's sweat-damp hair, smiling softly at the smaller man. "Did you play back in your old school?"

"I did when I was younger, but most High Schools won't allow presented omegas to play with other subgenders."

"I don't see why not," Mary interjected. "Maybe you should try out? If the coach sees some of what you just did today, he'd take you on for sure."

Gabriel twisted his hands in his lap, water bottle forgotten on the grass beside him. "I, uh, I don't know. I don't think I could stomach that many hours of Alastair and his cronies. We can't really do anything after school, anyway, because we won't have a ride home. I've thought about clubs and activities that Cas and I could join, but getting home safely would be a big issue."

"Isn't Balthazar interested in any clubs?" Mary looked around the field, surprised that she had lost sight of the lean beta sometime during the football match.

Gabe snorted. "Balthy is interested in sleeping his way through the entire presented student body before the end of the year. That's what he said on our first day in town, anyway."

Sam tapped Gabe's shoulder and nodded toward the bushes near the front of the house, Balthazar and Crowley just visible in the shade there. They weren't doing anything at the moment, just watching the other teens running around, but the omega had his hand firmly planted on the beta's leg, and Balthazar would lean over and nuzzle Crowley from time to time. "I really don't think that's a concern at the moment. I have known Crowley for probably half my life, and that boy doesn't _do_ relationships. He's kinda soured on them since his alpha father abandoned him and his mother when he was young. I've never seen him open up to anyone like he has in the last couple of days, and your brother seems just as interested in him."

"Good, Balthy could use a stable relationship for once in his life. Most of the alphas he's dated haven't treated him well, and he gets more and more careless after each failed partner. He's never had a relationship with an omega, and Crowley seems like he might be able to handle our brother, as much as anyone can, anyway."

"Should be interesting to watch," Sam replied, tapping Gabriel's shoulder and nodding toward the dessert table. Grinning, the omega jumped to his feet and headed over, the alpha just a few steps behind. He needed to get his energy up in case they called for another game.

* * *

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"A doctor," Adam replied confidently. "Dean's gonna follow in Dad's footsteps, be the Mayor and all, and Sam wants to go to law school. They're both going to protect people who need it, save them from whatever evils are in this world, and I thought I would do the same thing. Dad says that saving people and fighting injustices are the family business."

"That's kinda cool," Alfie replied, frowning as he watched his sister chase some of the younger children around the yard in some mutated game of tag that he had chosen not to join. "My family doesn't have a business. My dad is a manager at some store, and I don't want to do that. He's always at work and tired and he doesn't have a lot of time for us. I want to do something that lets me be home with my pups at night, like working at a museum."

"A museum, huh? What kind?"

"Something with fossils or bugs or something. There was a science museum that my aunt took us to once, when I was much younger, and it was awesome. I'd like to be at a place like that all day, maybe taking care of the animals or something."

"You could be in charge, make sure that everyone has a good experience like you did," Adam suggested. "I've been to a lot of museums around here and the curators all seem to love their jobs. You should have your dad take you sometime."

"I'll ask him." Alfie glanced up at Adam before scooting a little closer, carefully resting his head on the alpha's shoulder. He had seen Balthazar do that with one of the alphas he had dated, and that guy had lasted quite a while. "I wish I could scent you."

"You'll be able to soon," Adam promised. "My scent's already coming in, so my rut won't be far off. Mom says I smell like ginger with a citrusy overlay, which honestly is going to be a nice change from my brothers' heavier spices. That is, if you can smell me over Dean."

Alfie chuckled and turned his head, resting his nose in the crook of Adam's shoulder as he sniffed again. He did smell something citrusy, but he had no idea what it was. "Gabe says I won't be able to scent anyone properly until my heat, but Cas has a pretty good sense of smell already so maybe I will, too."

Adam half-turned to face Alfie, narrowing his eyes as he tried to catch the omega's scent. "I don't know what you smell like, other than something flowery. Have your brothers told you?"

"No, not yet. Cas is pretty good with flowers, so I think he'll be able to identify it once he gets over his first heat. I hope it's something sweet."

"Well you're sweet, so of course it will be."

Alfie blushed and dropped his head, looking up sharply as a sharp growl and a scuffle across the yard caught his attention. Sighing, he pushed himself to his feet, leading Adam over to Anna and the alpha boy she was currently trying to beat into a pulp. No way would _she_ have a sweet scent, he thought to himself. She was going to smell like blood and burnt flesh.


	8. Conflicting Pack Rules

Chapter 8: Conflicting Pack Rules

* * *

"Did you enjoy yourself today?"

Cas nodded, staring at the large Tupperware containers that Mary had forced into his hands a few minutes earlier. "It was wonderful. The food was extraordinary, the games were fun to watch and participate in, and I feel like I'm part of this pack now. It's . . . incredible."

Dean clapped Cas on the back, grinning as he caught the new, underlying threads of pack scent in the omega's natural aroma. He was right; he _belonged_ now. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, buddy. Where's the rest of your overly large family?"

Cas grinned and ducked his head. "Balthazar went to find the pups and Gabriel is finishing his third helping of dessert."

"What is he doing, storing fat for the winter?"

"He's always been able to eat a ton of food at once," Cas deflected. "He'll be hungry in a few hours, but I'm sure he enjoys being full. This food will be good for supper later tonight."

"Damn right," Gabriel chimed in, approaching the pair with clear plastic containers of food in his hands, Sam on his heels. "I'm looking forward to eating this for the next few days. Where are the pups?"

Cas nodded toward the side yard, where Balthazar was approaching with Anna by his side, Adam and Alfie trailing behind. Gabe and Cas both narrowed their eyes and tilted their heads at how close the boys were walking, Alfie's shoulder brushing Adam's arm as they walked. "Uh, Gabe, what's going on over there?"

The older omega shook his head. "I believe that our little brother took Luci's words to heart."

Castiel's eyes widened as Adam and Alfie paused before reaching their brothers, the alpha leaning close and whispering something in the young omega's ear, smiling at the giggle his words evoked. Adam took Alfie's hand and raised it to his lips, kissing it as he had seen his brother Dean do multiple times after a date with a pretty boy or girl, heading away to find his mother as Alfie scurried to Cas's side.

Alfie, who was only just reaching his growth spurt, looked up at his brother with pale brown eyes that almost shone with a golden light. In a quiet, detached part of his mind that had the patience to consider things like that, Cas mused that Alfie might have his heat a lot younger than Gabe had. The rest of his mind was trying to decide what he needed to say to his youngest sibling, and he settled on something that he hoped was casual. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yes, I had tons of fun," the skinny boy replied, sticking to Cas's side as the group headed for the front driveway. "I got to play around in a bouncy house, we played tag—Anna cheats, by the way—, the food was awesome, and I got a boyfriend."

Dean snorted at the final word, trying and failing to control his reaction. "You and Adam, huh?"

"Yeah! He's super nice; I was worried that he would be mean like the alphas that chase after Gabe at school, but he isn't like that at all."

Dean and Sam turned to face Gabe, the blonde omega shrinking on himself somewhat. His beta brother reached out to run a soothing hand down his back, used to these displays after so many years. "I haven't had the best luck with alphas," Gabe explained, nodding toward the two pups hanging onto the hem of Cas's shirt. "The little ones pick up on stuff like that."

Cas placed a comforting hand on each omega's shoulder, smiling warmly at his younger siblings. "Most alphas are nothing like the ones who harass Gabe at school, okay? The ones in this town are respectful and polite, and Adam especially is one of the good ones. If you want to date him, Alfie, you have our blessing."

"Awesome," the preteen grinned, turning toward the driveway as Michael pulled their father's car in. "He asked me out on a date next Saturday, to watch a baseball game. He said we could have hotdogs. You'll let me go, right?"

"We'll need to ask Father," Cas replied, even though he knew that Michael would probably make the final decision. Dean moved to the raven-haired omega's side and nodded toward the car, watching as two tall alphas stepped out. The first one was dark-haired and lean, maybe a few inches shorter than Dean though clearly a few years older. His eyes were more turquoise than Cas's, but the resemblance was there.

The second alpha was taller, a sandy blonde with light blue eyes, his clothes less conservative than his brother's, though still typical alpha styles. He stood with his hands in his pockets as he cast a guarded gaze across the group, clearly deferring to the older alpha. Dean approached them first, catching warring scents of cedar, peppermint, longleaf pine, and spearmint as his own cinnamon and leather aroma strengthened in warning. He was an alpha protecting his pack, and so were they; he only hoped his first meeting with Cas's alpha brothers would end well.

* * *

Michael glanced at his brother as he turned down the long driveway to the mayoral mansion. "So, we gonna take that job?"

Lucifer nodded as he stared out the window, admiring the landscaping that he hadn't had time to notice when they dropped their younger siblings off. "The restaurant is willing to hire both of us, work around our school schedule, and it pays enough for us to get that apartment off campus we were looking at."

"As long as Dad doesn't flip when we tell him." Michael and Lucifer had both earned a number of small scholarships, some based on need and some on merit, that covered their school tuition with just enough left over for second-hand books. They hadn't been able to afford to live on campus, but they spent as many nights on their friends' couches as they could. This job would give them an opportunity to rent a small, one-bedroom apartment not far from school. They would still have to share a bedroom, as they had done their whole lives, but they would have more space and their siblings could spread out a bit more at their house.

"How long will it take to save up enough for the deposit?"

"Depends on the nights we work and how good the tips are. Including the money we were saving up in Illinois, maybe a month." Michael slowed the car to a stop and parked it, stepping out as he spotted his younger siblings waiting nearby. Lucifer followed his lead, staying a step behind his older brother as he acknowledged Michael's authority as the older alpha, nostrils flaring as he caught the overwhelming scent of cinnamon in the air. Damn, this green-eyed alpha of his brothers' school pack really was one of _those_ alphas.

The alpha, who had to be Dean Winchester, bowed his head in greeting, keeping eye contact with Michael as he moved into handshake range. The omegas hung back, knowing better than to interfere when alphas from different packs met for the first time. Lucifer glanced over at his brother, offering the raven-haired alpha a slight nod. Dean watched the exchange before he held out a hand, grinning at the older alpha. "I'm Dean Winchester, Head Alpha of the Lawrence High School Pack, son of Mayor John Winchester, and Castiel's mentor."

Michael nodded and took the proffered hand, shaking it firmly before letting go. "I'm Michael Novak, oldest brother of Castiel and Gabriel whom you've accepted into your pack, and this is my brother Lucifer. I've heard a lot about you the past few days."

"Only good things, I hope," Dean grinned, slipping his hands in his pockets. It was a supremely non-threatening pose, one meant to show the other alphas that he wasn't a threat.

"So far," Michael shrugged, leaning back against the car. "You don't seem so bad, and my brothers are happier than I've seen them in a while. It's odd, though, this concept of omegas joining packs. It's not something we'd heard of back in Illinois."

Dean shrugged, keeping his pose casual to match Michael. "Omegas approach pack politics differently than alphas. We can only handle one pack, one power structure, after we leave home. Omegas generally need to be bonded with many members of many packs in order to feel safe and secure, but they never truly have a place in any of them. They're the mate of some alpha, the brother of some beta, the son or cousin of someone else in another pack. They even tend to bond with a dominant friend at work and socialize with their pack."

"And how is your pack and my brothers' place in it different than that?"

"The omegas in my pack are here on their own, not because they are bound to or beholden to a dominant partner. Cas is my trainee, and he is learning from me, but he isn't here only because of me. When he graduates to mentor status next year, he'll stand on his own. My omega cousin was Head Alpha of this pack for a full year, and Crowley leads an entire splinter composed of all three subgenders. They follow him willingly, they trust him completely, and he protects them as we would traditionally expect an alpha to. They have their own place in my pack."

Michael and Lucifer exchanged a charged look, clearly communicating something in that silent moment. "It's an interesting theory," the older alpha finally managed. "How does it work in practice? Are the omegas who joined years ago still happy members?"

"Yes, they are. My cousin Gadreel is a leader in the college pack, soon to be mated to my best friend Benny, and he has been mentoring and protecting younger teens for years. If this is what your brothers want, they will have a loving, supportive pack for as long as they need."

"Is this what you want, Gabriel? Castiel?"

The two omegas, waiting with Sam a few feet away from the alpha meeting, nodded. "We think we can be happy here, with the pack to support us," Gabriel replied.

"Well, we certainly don't want to get in the way of their happiness," Michael grinned, bowing his head in acceptance. "Dean Winchester, I expect you to take care of my baby brothers."

"I will, I promise."

* * *

Castiel slammed his locker shut, glad to be free of his books for an hour. Sam had promised to bring lunch for him and Gabe today, so he hadn't packed anything. He had spoken to the alpha briefly during their Social Studies class, but he hadn't seen Dean all day. He had been on edge all day, sniffing every few minutes for a trace of that cinnamon scent he had already grown so accustomed to, but it was just gone.

"Cas?"

The omega looked up sharply as the object of his thoughts appeared beside his locker, grinning as he held out a small aerosol can. "Dean? I can't . . . why can't I smell you?"

The alpha pressed the can into his hands, nodding at the gift. "I was testing a new brand of scent blockers. I went shopping yesterday and stumbled over one that managed to combat even my scent. Sam said that he hasn't smelled me all day."

"Neither have I," Cas murmured, staring at the can in wonder. He leaned closer to Dean and sniffed the alpha's neck, pleased that he could still scent that cinnamon and leather that he had come to find equaled _safety_ and _comfort_. "When I'm close, I still smell you."

"Sure; these aren't customized, full-spectrum scent blockers. They're generic and you don't need to see a doctor to use them, so they don't cover your scent completely. They are incredibly useful for people like you and me, though, to dampen our natural aromas."

"And you got these for me?"

Dean grinned and nodded, cupping Cas's hand with his. "Just a quick spritz before school and it should keep your scent to a normal, pre-presentation level. Try not to use too much, though; I would hate to not smell your honeysuckle and clover every day."

Cas leaned up against Dean's chest, taking in the alpha's scent as he felt hands running through his hair. "As long as you don't use it anymore. I've been on edge all day."

"Don't worry, little omega, I won't," Dean promised, letting his trainee scent him for as long as he needed. "Just give yourself a quick spray before you leave for school in the morning. Let me know when you get low and I'll go pick you up some more."

"Dean, these scent blockers aren't cheap," Cas argued, turning in the alpha's arms so he could reach his locker and put the spray away. "Even when they aren't specialized."

"After you present, health insurance will cover blockers or maskers, but for now I need you to feel safer here at school. What better way for me to do that than to help you dampen your over-productive scent glands? I promised to protect you, and I meant that."

"Thank you, Dean." He was finally calm enough to pull out of Dean's arms, though he still missed being shrouded in that spicy cinnamon aroma.

"Ready for lunch?"

"Yes! Sam promised us chicken kabobs, veggies, and rice. I don't know how he managed to pack enough for me _and_ Gabe in his lunchbox, but I can't wait to find out."

Dean chuckled. "Yeah, I can't wait to see, either." They started to walk away from the lockers, Dean's arm comfortably around Cas's shoulders. "What are you doing after school today?"

"Going home, I guess. Gabe and I don't have any after-school clubs yet."

"Really? What kind of stuff are you interested in? Maybe we can find something one of the Pack does so we can get you a ride home after. A legal ride, that is, until I get my license."

"I used to like running, back in middle school, but my high school in Illinois didn't allow omegas on the track team. It would be fun to do that again."

Dean pulled Cas to a stop, turning the omega to face him as a slow smile spread across his face. "You like to run? Just sprinting or something more?"

"I did short and long sprints in school and I ran a half-marathon last year. I like the short ones, but sometimes I need a long run to clear my head. I don't know anywhere safe to run here, but I'm hoping to find somewhere. If Mike and Luci will let me, that is."

Dean, who had given his lunch box to Sam to carry outside before meeting the omega at his locker, stepped away from Cas and crouched down, grinning as he nodded toward the door. The hallway was mostly empty as students filed into their classrooms or headed for lunch, so he and Cas had a clear shot to the outside doors. "Race me to the picnic tables."

"What?"

"Race me, sweet omega. If you win, I'll put in a good word with the captain of the track team."

Cas chuckled before falling into a runner's stance, staring at the alpha as he waited for the signal to run. Their eyes flashed as they sized each other up, Dean's with a red ring around his green and Cas with the faintest shimmer of gold around his blue. A moment later, they were off, racing down the long hallway to the outer doors.

Dean was in the lead from the start, his alpha strength giving him an advantage. Cas hadn't run in a long time, but he could already feel that familiar burn in his chest and tightness in his legs. Calling on a strength he had nearly forgotten he had, Cas pushed himself to catch up with Dean, dodging a pair of betas on the way. Omegas were built to run, both to get themselves and their pups to safety when something threatened their packs and to lead their mates on a chase to build up mating hormones. Even though he wasn't presented yet, Cas already felt a whisper of those hormones, a desire to escape Dean, to make the alpha _prove_ that he was strong enough to catch him, that he would be a worthy mate. Cas pulled ahead just as they reached the doors, and both of them knew that the race was over.

Dean was on Cas's heels as the pair escaped the building, both of them turning toward the picnic tables as Crowley cursed at them and jumped out of the way, Balthazar catching him as he watched his brother run past. Cas reached the table Dean normally used, turning to avoid it as Dean leaped up on top of it. The alpha jumped for the ground and crashed into the omega, the pair of them rolling over a couple of times in the grass before coming to a stop.

From his position on his back, half-trapped by Dean's arms, Cas grinned. "I won!"

"That you did, Cas." Dean leaned down and nuzzled the omega, smiling as the younger teen began to purr. "I don't know why your old school wouldn't let omegas run; you're amazing at it. I have so little competition here."

Cas pushed himself onto his elbows, completely ignoring the crowd of Pack members that had begun to gather. "There's a fear that an omega running will tap into an alpha's base instinct to chase. It is a mating urge, after all."

"And alphas need to learn to control that," Dean argued, pushing himself up and helping Cas to his feet. They brushed off their clothes before taking their seats at the picnic table, nodding in greeting as their brothers joined them. "If I can teach a school full of alphas and dominant betas to keep their hands to themselves, I can teach a track team that is ninety percent alpha not to let their base instincts rule them. If you want to join the team, I'll guarantee you a spot."

Cas ducked his head to hide his smile, gratefully accepting the Tupperware of reheated food that Sam pushed in front of him. "You'll put in a good word with the captain?"

"Dean is the captain of the track team," Sam replied, handing Gabe his own food before digging into his. "He's the one who forced the coaches to accept omegas two years ago, and we've been dominating track meets across the country ever since. Omegas are scary good at running."

Cas snorted and shook his head, letting his azure eyes rise to meet his alpha's jade. "Are there any other clubs, organizations, or packs that you're in charge of that you have neglected to tell me? I mean, I've known you less than a week and you seem to own like half the school."

"Nah, those are the only ones. I do work at a mechanic shop on the weekends, during breaks, and sometimes after school, but track and the Pack are my only after-school activities." Dean turned to his lunch and dug in, but something in his too-casual tone concerned Cas. He was too hungry to put off eating any longer, but he was determined to figure out what other secret the alpha might be keeping from him.

* * *

Cas's sixth period was Honors Biology, a class that he found fascinating but he didn't have any friends to share his joy with. Meg was working on switching into the class, but it would be another couple of days before she was able to. Mostly he sat by himself against the window and hoped that none of the alphas would bother him. Ever since Dean had walked him to class the week before, though, he hadn't had a single problem, and he knew that having Meg around would make everything even easier. He was already becoming accustomed to looking for his Pack mates when he walked into a classroom.

As soon as the bell rang, Cas was out the door, hastily dropping his books in his locker as he grabbed his battered copy of Shakespeare's works for his theater class. The same teacher, Ms. Barnes, taught the second and seventh period sessions, so at least he wouldn't have to adjust to a new instructor, but of course the students would all be different. He only hoped that he could find someone to sit with.

As soon as he entered the classroom, all of his fears melted away. Lounging against the dark curtains that framed the windows like he owned the room, Dean grinned and waved at the young omega. Cas shook his head as he settled into the cushions next to his alpha, pulling out his notebook as Ms. Barnes nodded at him from her desk. Ms. Barnes didn't believe in desks and chairs, other than the one she was forced to use herself, so the students curled up on cushions or low couches while she taught class, all of them encouraged to move around as much as they needed to. "You didn't tell me you were in this class, Dean," Cas scolded, opening his book to _Hamlet_. "Sneaky alpha."

"Why do you think I wanted you to switch into Sam's Social Studies class? He showed me your schedule and I knew that we could have a class together this way. We aren't taking the same languages or core classes, but I wanted to find an hour we could be together."

"I'm glad you did," Cas replied, knowing that his scent was betraying his happiness but not caring in the least. "It's nice knowing people in most of my classes now; hopefully you'll be as good a study partner as Sam is for Social Studies."

"Maybe not as good as my nerd of a younger brother, but I think we can help each other out."

* * *

Gabe plopped down at the table across from Cas, spreading out his notes and textbooks so he could start his homework. He might not be the most studious of his siblings, but he did keep his grades high enough to have a chance to get scholarships for college. Like Mike and Luci, the two omegas knew that their dad couldn't pay anything toward their higher education, so if they planned to go to KU or anywhere else, they would have to earn it. "How were your classes today, Cassie?"

Cas rolled his eyes as the nickname and the sly look on his brother's face. "You could have told me that Dean was going to be in my theater class."

"He wanted to surprise you. Your alpha also swapped into my Spanish and English classes. Sam moved his Chem class to seventh with me and dropped one of his electives to take Omega Studies fourth period."

"Omega studies? There aren't a lot of alphas in that class."

"No, but Sam read over the syllabus and he said that he likes a lot of the authors we're reading and is familiar with the politicians we're studying, so I think he'll enjoy it. I know that he's gone to a lot of effort to make sure I'm not alone, and I really appreciate it."

Cas nodded and turned back to his Calculus homework. "Sam likes you, Gabe, and he wants you to have a peaceful couple of years here. It seems like he's managed to get a Pack member into every one of your classes."

Gabe nodded, scribbling notes in the margin of his workbook. "You have someone in all of your classes except Genetics and Russian, right? I mean, after Meg gets her schedule sorted."

"Yep. And no one bothers me as much in the other classes, either, with the Pack scent on me. Now the scent blockers should make most of the rest of it ancient history."

Both omegas looked up as the front door swung open, their two younger siblings galloped in, throwing their book bags on the floor before taking off toward their bedroom. Cas knew that they liked to change into comfortable clothes before eating and doing their homework, and thankfully he had done laundry that morning before school so they had something to wear.

"Luci and I are staying out tonight," Mike announced as the two alphas waltzed into the kitchen, running his fingers through his brother's raven hair as he had done since they were pups. "Are you two going to be okay watching Anna and Alfie? I don't smell Balthy around anywhere."

"He's not home," Gabe supplied helpfully. "He stayed after school to work on a project."

"We'll be fine," Cas replied, pushing his books away as he headed for the fridge to grab the fruit he had cut up earlier for the pups to snack on while they did their homework. "Are you staying with that girl you were seeing last week? Hester?"

"Yeah, and her sister Ingrid," Lucifer added, patting Gabriel on the back as he headed for the pantry and the protein bars he hoped to find there. "Dad will be home in a few hours."

"Ok, cool." Gabe waved his brothers away, returning to his homework. "See you tomorrow after school?"

"Of course. Take care, brothers."

Cas sat down between his younger siblings as he handed out the snacks, looking up as his two oldest brothers headed out the door. Now he just had to keep everything together until his father came home from work.

* * *

Cas dressed in the half-light of early morning, leaning over to nudge Gabe in his cocoon of the top bunk. The beds were narrow and a little short, so Gabe fit better than his six-foot-tall brothers, and he tended to sleep in quite a bit more, too. "School, Gabe."

"Don' wanna," the older omega growled, burrowing deeper into his nest. He had started nesting as soon as he neared his first heat, stealing blankets, pillows, and clothes and shoving them into his bed until there was barely any room for him. The others had taken their bed stuff back, but Chuck had gone to a thrift store and brought back as many soft, fluffy blankets and pillows as he could afford. Cas guessed that he would start wanting to nest soon, normally the first warning that an omega was headed for his first heat, but for now he just had a single pillow, a comforter, and a blanket his grandmother had crocheted for him before she died.

"It's not really optional, brother. I'll get the pups ready today if you'll promise to get up when I leave." Cas grabbed his bookbag and fished out the bottle of scent blockers Dean had given him, spritzing his major scent glands before dropping it back into one of the smaller pockets. Feeling ready for the day, the raven-haired omega headed into the living room.

Alfie and Anna had managed to get themselves up and were already eating cereal when Cas emerged from his room. He checked on each of them before grabbing a breakfast bar from the pantry, polishing it off quickly as he heard his father enter the room, Gabe a grumbling mess behind him. None of the omegas had been awake when Chuck returned home the night before, but the one beta had barely managed to make it home before their father. Balthazar, despite the bare handful of hours of sleep he managed, was already dressed for school, sitting on the couch and reading a book while he waited for his siblings to finish.

Chuck stopped in his tracks, a cup of coffee in one hand as he sniffed the air, a frown marring his normally placid features. "Castiel, your scent has changed."

The raven-haired omega nodded slowly, wringing his hands in front of his chest. "I, uh . . . my friend gave me some scent blockers to help me out at school. They're not very strong, since I'm unpresented and all."

Chuck shook his head and placed his coffee on the cheap dining room table, resting a hand on Gabriel's shoulder and guiding him toward a seat. The blonde grumbled something grateful, taking the pack of pop-tarts that Balthazar had pulled out for him earlier. "You know that I don't approve of you hiding your scent. It's deceitful, to prevent people from being able to detect the subtle ebb and flow of your emotions. Until you have presented, a doctor can't give you maskers that are personalized to your unique chemistry, and anything else just overwhelms your natural aroma. I won't have you wear them."

Gabriel's head shot up at that, completely and totally awake. He glanced around and realized that his alpha brothers hadn't come home the night before, so there was no one to stand up to their father and show him that Cas truly needed something to protect him from the alphas at school. He met Balthazar's eyes across the room, seeing the same resignation in those blue orbs that he knew filled his.

Cas whined and shook his head, his despair strong enough to break through the blockers. "It's meant to get the alphas at school to leave me alone. I can't help that my scent is so strong."

"Your scent is fine, and it's not much stronger than Gabriel's. I don't see him begging for chemical help."

"Alphas can't smell him halfway across campus," Cas argued, taking a half step forward. "I need to get some sort of relief from the harassment."

Chuck looked up from his coffee at that, the faintest hint of anger peppering his scent. "Are you talking back to me, boy?"

Castiel gulped and took a step back, hunching his shoulders in an instinctive omega effort to look less threatening. "N-no, sir."

"Good. I don't expect to hear any more nonsense about those scent blockers, and I don't want you to smell like that ever again. Do I make myself clear?"

Cas whined and dropped his head, his broken, defeated whisper barely audible in the small house. "Yes, Sir."

"Good." Chuck polished off his coffee and headed for the sink to deposit his mug, blue eyes narrowing as he glanced at Cas's backpack. "I expect you to return those scent blockers to your friend today. They aren't cheap, you know, and he shouldn't be wasting his money on silly frivolities like that for people who don't need them."

"Of course, Father," Castiel replied, grabbing his bag and heading for the door, his siblings silent in his wake. Arguing with their father once he made up his mind wouldn't do any of them any good, and Cas wouldn't want anyone else to suffer standing up for him. That hope for a peaceful school year that had blossomed the day before shattered inside him, obliterated by his father's casual dismissal of his desperate desire to be left alone.

* * *

 **AN:** Sorry it's been so long, I started taking a night class for new certifications and I have approximately 0 free time.


	9. Pack Posturing

Chapter 9: Pack Posturing

* * *

Dean knew that something had happened as soon as Cas emerged from the SUV in the drop-off loop. Gabriel and Balthazar were quiet as they walked by their brother's side, splitting off to meet with Crowley and Sam once they were sure that Dean was waiting for Cas. The raven-haired omega homed in on his alpha immediately, stopping just inches away with his arms crossed defensively in front of his chest and a dark, bitter despair coloring his faint scent under the blockers.

Dean wrapped his arm around Cas's shoulders and steered him toward the school, settling them both on a wooden bench in the shade and pulling the omega against his side. He could smell the salt of his tears, and his alpha reared up, determined to hurt whoever had cause his trainee so much despair. "What happened, Cas?"

"My Father . . . he doesn't approve of the scent blockers." The younger boy's voice was watery and broken as he struggled not to collapse in a sobbing mess in Dean's arms. "He told me to give them back to you because I shouldn't need chemical assistance to control my scent."

"Nonsense," Dean murmured, tucking Cas's head under his chin. "They're one of the best things ever created, especially for omegas. You shouldn't have to be responsible for the way alphas act around you, especially these damn knotheads who refuse to control themselves. Being a Lure might have its advantages when you're older and have pups, but it's damn inconvenient now. I can't believe your dad doesn't see that."

"He doesn't think I smell that strong," Cas whispered. "I think he just got used to it over the years, mostly at home where all of our scents mingle together. If he could see what people like Alastair do, maybe he wouldn't be so quick to dismiss my concerns."

"Cas, the blockers only work for twelve hours or so. Why don't I keep them in my locker and you can stop by every morning? You're going to join the track team, so you'll have practice every afternoon and you'll sweat or shower the remainder of them off. By the time you see your dad that night, you'll smell normal again."

Blue eyes turned up to him, wide with wonder as the tears gathered in them faded. "Really?"

"Sure. It makes more sense, anyway; you only need them for school." Dean felt a tremor pass through him at the words, a dark voice whispering in the back of his mind that he wasn't being truthful to himself. Cas would be better off with the blockers at all times, but if his dad wouldn't allow it, then school would have to be enough. The Pack scent helped out a lot, too.

"Thank you, Dean," Cas breathed, his scent losing all of that bitterness and vanishing under the cloud of nothingness of the blockers. Dean could still smell honeysuckle and clover when he had the other boy pressed against his side, but he knew that a few feet of distance would give Cas the invisibility he desired from High School. "I'm sorry I'm such trouble."

Dean reached down and hooked his fingers under Cas's chin, forcing the omega to meet his eyes. "Don't ever think that, Cas. You are not trouble, you're not a burden, and I don't regret for a second taking you as a trainee or having you as a friend."

Cas couldn't find an answer for that, so he settled for leaning against Dean's side and taking in his alpha's scent, knowing that he only had twenty minutes or so until his first class. He felt the tension drain from his body as he began to purr, the sound bringing a smile to Dean's face. "I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me."

"I joined the Pack to protect and nurture omegas above everything else. You being safe, happy and purring in my arms, is all the thanks I need."

If you asked Cas later, years later when he had grown up and sorted himself out, he would have pointed to that morning, curled against Dean's side on a hard wooden bench outside of their high school, as the moment he realized he might have the slightest crush on the Head Alpha. It was too early for him to categorize it as love, but it was certainly a turning point in his life. He was no longer lonely, no longer hiding from alphas, and no longer worried about how he was going to survive the next few years, thanks to Dean.

* * *

Gabriel had spoken with his younger brother briefly during Calculus, and it seemed that Dean had offered the other omega a solution for their father's surprisingly anti-blocker stance at breakfast. It had eased the tension in his chest somewhat, but he was still bothered by how intransigent Chuck had been that morning. He wondered if the presence of one or both of his alpha brothers would have made a difference.

Gabe shared his second and third period classes with Ruby, but the alpha's fourth period was on the west end of campus and his was on the east. She smiled and promised to see him at lunch as he headed for his locker to drop off his bookbag. Fourth period was omega studies, and all he needed for that class was the small paperback book tucked in his jacket pocket. After swinging the heavy pack into the small half-sized metal cabinet, Gabe spun the lock and stretched his back, glad to be free of that weight.

A soft chuckle behind him caught the omega's attention, and he inwardly steeled himself for an unprovoked interaction with whatever dumbass alphas had decided to ignore his Pack scent. Eyes narrowed, Gabe turned to face three teens, their scents indicating that they were related, probably brothers. One was tall and broad with short brown hair and a scruffy beard that was struggling to come in. The second was shorter and rounder, his hairline already retreating from his forehead as faint fuzz covered his chin. The third was slender and much younger looking, his brown hair neatly coifed and his chin free of any facial hair.

The tallest alpha stepped forward, sniffing the air before raising a hand toward Gabriel's face. The omega growled, but he refused to step away or back down, having already learned that showing weakness to the alphas at this school never prevented their harassment. "Look at those eyes, Narfi. Isn't he a pretty little thing?"

The balding brother, clearly this Narfi person, nodded and crowded closer to Gabriel, reaching up and running his fingers through the omega's blonde hair. Gabe turned his head and snapped his teeth, his low growl and the sharp spiciness in his scent meant to warn the alphas away. He couldn't see or smell any of the Pack members in the half-deserted hallway, but he really hoped one would show up soon. "He's snappy, that's for sure."

The third alpha rolled his eyes and leaned against the locker on Gabe's other side, forcing him to divert some of his attention away from Narfi and the older one on his other side. "Fenrir, you have odd taste in omegas. Males are too much trouble; you should stick to females."

Fenrir grinned and moved closer to Gabriel, one arm snaking around the omega's waist as he wrapped his other hand around his neck. Gabriel froze, his growl fading into a soft, terrified whine as he struggled against his natural omega instinct to _submit_ to the pressure of the alpha's fingers. "I like when they're feisty, Sleipnir," Fenrir replied, leaning closer and rubbing his nose against Gabriel's neck. "He must want me; look at how gold those eyes are."

An instant later, the pressure around his waist and on the back of his neck vanished, giving Gabe control of his body as Fenrir crumpled to the ground. His brothers moved away from the blond omega as a deep, primal growl filled the hallway and every other student flattened themselves against the walls. Sam stood over Fenrir, his eyes crimson in his fury as he flexed his fists and dared the other alpha to move. He was taller than the other teen, if not quite as broad, and it was clear that he was dominant in this situation.

"How _dare_ you touch an omega under _my_ protection?!"

Narfi growled and stepped closer to Sam, his eyes flaring red as he prepared for a fight. The other teen grinned and lunged forward, ducking Narfi's attack as he slammed his fist into the other alpha's stomach. Narfi howled in pain and fell to the ground beside his brother, Fenrir growling and jumping back into the fight.

By the time any teachers arrived, Sam had decked Fenrir again and backed Sleipnir into the gap between the end of the row of lockers and the door of a nearby classroom. Gabe hid behind the furious alpha, resting one hand on his back to assure Sam that he was fine, knowing that the tenuous contact might be the only thing preventing the alpha from going into a full-on rage.

"What's going on here?" The school's principal, an older, gray-haired beta with a neat goatee, shuffled down the hallway, glaring at the alphas through narrowed eyes. Gabriel had only met Metatron once, when he and his brothers transferred into the school, and something about the short man rubbed him the wrong way. No one at the school was really sure if Metatron was the man's first or last name, and he insisted that all of his students just address him by that name, not asking for them to preface it with _Mister_ as they would for their teachers.

"Someone thought it would be a good idea to sexually harass a young omega who is under my protection," Sam answered, turning his still-red eyes toward the principal. A few other students, two of whom had applied for Pack membership and been offered Auxiliary status, gathered closer to the three alpha brothers, preventing them from making an easy escape. "Do tell me why you continue to allow such behavior in your halls."

Metatron sputtered and straightened his suit jacket, glancing at the three brothers before turning back to Sam. The young alpha, sensing the beta's indecision, did what his father had taught him to do in a confrontation with a more powerful figure: use his size to his advantage. Sam took a step toward Metatron, pulling himself to his full height, which was already pretty impressive at fifteen, and glared down his nose at the principal. Gabriel mentally compared himself to the old beta, figuring that he was about five inches taller, and Sam was at least half a head taller than him. The dichotomy between the alpha and beta was obvious, and Metatron could tell that he was losing any authority he might have had.

"I, uh, had no idea this was going on, of course," Metatron grumbled, glaring at the big alpha still unconscious on the floor, his balding brother groaning his way back to awareness. "These three have been in trouble from time to time, but I'm sure they weren't harassing your friend."

"Of course we weren't," Sleipnir replied suavely, still tucked in the corner between the locker bank and the door. "My brother was just introducing himself, and the omega gave him that come-hither look. Look at how bright his eyes are!"

"His eyes are gold normally," Sam snarled, puffing out his chest as he whirled on the lean alpha, his entire posture threatening violence. "It doesn't mean he's interested in your sleazy brother."

"Fenrir invaded my space and grabbed me against my will," Gabriel added, already certain that this aging beta was going to be useless in punishing handsy alphas.

"Well, of course I'll talk with them, but that's no excuse for knocking them out!"

"I have the right as an alpha in an established and respected pack to protect my members from any and all external threats as I see fit," Sam snapped back. "He and his brothers trapped Gabe against the lockers, touched him against his will, and Fenrir, unrelated and of a different pack, grabbed the back of my omega's neck."

Metatron stilled at that, biting his lower lip as he stared at the young omega. Pressure on the back of an omega's neck would put them into a forced submissive state, normally only used during mating. It was against the law for an unrelated, non-packmate to grab an omega's neck without the omega's _explicit_ and _enthusiastic_ consent, and even someone who turned a blind eye to knotheaded alphas as often as Metatron did couldn't ignore that specific violation. "Are you sure he grabbed Mr. Novak's neck? That's a very serious charge, Mr. Winchester."

"It was a very serious assault," Sam retorted, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Gabe was still there. Some alpha instinct he didn't quite understand yet insisted that he confirm the safety of his charge. It was the first time in his life he had protected an omega and not his younger alpha brother, and he wasn't entirely sure how to deal with the emotions. "Either you deal with it, or my pack will. We have the right." And that was a threat Metatron couldn't ignore.

The principal shooed the gathered students away and grabbed Narfi's arm, forcing the dizzy alpha to his feet and glaring at Sleipnir. "Take your brother to my office while I deal with Fenrir. We're going to talk about your inappropriate actions here today."

Sam backed away from the principal, Gabriel still glued to his side. "Everyone here is going to need a hall pass. We're twenty minutes late to class already," Gabe called out to Metatron.

The gray-haired beta nodded distractedly and pulled out his phone, sending out a message on the teachers' messaging app. "You can all tell your teachers that you were caught up in the . . . unfortunate situation in the west hall and they will excuse your tardiness."

Sam nodded and turned to Gabe, the red slowly fading from his eyes as he let the omega's soft gardenia and cherry blossom scent calm him. "Are you really okay?"

"He barely touched me, Sam," Gabe soothed, running his hand up and down the alpha's arm. "I'm alright, I promise."

"I've never done that before," Sam admitted, resting his forehead on Gabe's shoulder. "I'm not the Winchester brother known for getting in fights, but my dad and Dean made sure I knew how. I just . . . when I saw Fenrir touching you like that . . ."

Gabe placed a hand on Sam's chest and forced him back a half step, just far enough that his golden eyes could meet red-flecked green hazel. He ran his hand down Sam's arm until he reached the wrist, pulling the alpha's hand up to the back of his neck and resting it there. Sam's eyes widened as his fingers twitched uncertainly against the back of Gabe's neck, his mind flying back to the memory of Fenrir grabbing the omega in the same way.

"Uh, Gabe, are you sure?"

"It'll make both of us feel better," the omega whispered. He sighed and relaxed as Sam's grip tightened, endorphins flooding his body at the pressure as he offered a soft purr. When used correctly, the grip was able to calm and reassure the omega, strengthening the bond with his alpha and more dominant pack mates. Gabe leaned closer to the alpha, purring harder as Sam wrapped an arm around his waist and rested his chin on top of the omega's head.

"I promised to take care of you, Gabe," Sam whispered as the omega's purr calmed his alpha. With the pressure on his neck, Gabe couldn't answer, but he let his scent radiate trust, and that was all the answer Sam needed.

* * *

"So, heard about that dust-up during Fourth," Dean commented, leaning back against the picnic table, the picture of indifference. His eyes, though, were hard in direct contradiction to his casual pose. "A couple of the kids in my class were late."

Sam nodded sharply, glaring at the orange in his hands as he carefully peeled it. "I'm sure you remember those weird brothers from Sweden? The ones who are all somehow in the same grade because one failed sixth grade and one skipped forward?"

"Yeah, the ones named after Norse demigods. Fenrir, Narfi, and . . . Sleipnir?"

"Fenrir thought it would be a good idea to grab Gabe." Sam pointed to the back of his neck briefly before returning to his orange.

Dean's eyes widened as he glanced over at the omega, currently sitting next to Ruby with his nose buried in his Social Studies book, probably going over their homework. "Scruffing an omega can get you in a lot of trouble. Did the principal do anything?"

"Yeah, after a lot of prompting," Sam scoffed. "Dude is Grade-A useless. You would think that he would be more sensitive to omega problems as a beta, but I get the feeling that he always wanted to be an alpha and resents everyone for his own biology."

"Do you ever get the feeling that some of the problems we have here with knotheaded alphas stems from the lack of a clear administrative stance on harassment and bullying? Maybe Metatron is the author of our problems."

"Yeah, maybe," Sam allowed. "It would be hard to prove, though. Anyway, he took the three away, presumably to administer some sort of punishment. I'm going to tell Dad about it tonight and see if there is any way he can put some pressure on the Board."

Dean grinned and punched his brother's shoulder, snatching the second orange from Sam's lunch box. "Look at you, going all alpha over your trainee. I'm proud of you, Sammy."

"It's Sam," the younger teen corrected absently. "I didn't like doing it, Dean. It isn't my goal in life to get into fights with asshole alphas."

"I doubt you'll have to go through that again. The whole school is talking about how handily you flattened those three alphas in defense of your pack mate." Maggie joined the pair at their table, a phone in her hand as she scrolled through messages. "We have two dozen more applications for Auxiliary membership in the last half-hour alone. All of them cite your, and I'm quoting here, _impressive heroism_ in protecting Gabriel. These new ones are all alphas, all asking to learn about the rules of being in a pack, rules that Sam here may have quoted this morning. It seems that a certain percentage of the student body do not understand pack politics."

"I guess it's up to Sammy here to teach them, then," Dean chuckled, leaning forward to clap his brother's shoulder. "He'll be a great instructor."

"It's _Sam_ , and I don't think I really did anything. The rule about scruffing an omega . . . I'm sure everyone already knows that."

"Apparently not. Dean, I'm thinking of summoning the full Council tomorrow after school to discuss these new applicants. Will you be there?"

Dean ran his hand through his hair, watching as Castiel joined Gabriel's table and Balthazar left his seat by Crowley's side to speak with his brothers. "Things aren't altogether right here at Lawrence High," the alpha mused. "We protect our pack members well enough, but we know that there are omegas and submissive betas who are still harassed behind the scenes, who still suffer where we can't see. What if . . . what if these two strange omegas, one with unusually golden eyes and one with a scent too strong to be ignored . . ."

Sam looked up when Dean trailed off, glancing at the Novak brothers sitting a couple of tables away. "You think it's fate that brought them here to expose the dark underbelly of the school?"

"It sounds ridiculous when you say it like that," Dean admitted, eating one of the orange wedges he had finally freed from the thick citrus skin. "It's a dumb thought, I guess."

"You're not wrong, though," Maggie replied softly. "Them being here . . . it's already started to stir up a number of formerly unseen problems. Alastair, the Nordic brothers . . . they're just the tip of the iceberg. We knew Fenrir and Narfi had bothered omegas before, but we've never caught them, and most of the football players have always been asses to non-alphas. We've known it, but we didn't ever see any instances of abuse that we could react to."

"Now we've had two in as many weeks," Dean mused. "I think we need to wait a few more days before we have that meeting, Mags. Let's see how many requests we get and we can vet them and the people we didn't accept for full membership at the same time. Friday, maybe."

"I'll arrange it." Maggie glanced back down at her phone and grinned, tapping on something before turning the screen toward Sam. "They got a great shot of you hovering over Fenrir and Narfi. I sometimes forget how tall you are."

"Oooh, let me see." Dean plucked Maggie's phone out of her hand, examining the picture of the aftermath of the fight, tapping out of the photo viewer and scrolling to the next message. He froze at the sight of Gabe in Sam's arms, the alpha's huge hand on the back of his neck as they both stood there with their eyes closed against a backdrop of dingy green lockers. "Sam . . . you've got it bad for that tempestuous blond."

Sam leaned over and smiled at the picture, his entire face softening as something gentle and happy filled his scent. "He asked me to do that, the neck thing. He said it would make both of us feel better."

"You're falling in love with him." Maggie's matter-of-fact statement was followed by a brief flare of shock in Sam's sandalwood scent, but she merely shrugged in response. "I can see it here, in this one picture, and in the way you interact with him. You have the slightest bit of a crush on our newest member."

Sam blushed and looked away, his eyes catching Gabe's for just a moment before the omega turned back to his work. "I don't know, Maggie; I just want him to enjoy his time here. I want him to trust me, but I can't ask for more than that. He's been abused by alphas for too long; I can't save him one minute and hit on him the next. What kind of hypocrite would that make me? I'm perfectly content being his mentor."

"Well, according to these pictures and applications, you're the best damn mentor we've ever had. I can't wait to see how many applications we have by Friday."

* * *

"What about soccer or lacrosse?"

Sam looked up from his notes, glancing at the powdery blue precipitate in the beaker from their experiment of the day. "What are you talking about, Gabe?"

Gabriel closed all of the jars they had used, tilting his head at the alpha. "I don't want to join football, but I thought that soccer or lacrosse might be a better idea. I've played both of them before, when I was younger, and I kinda liked them."

Sam shrugged. "There are more alphas on the lacrosse team, and I've seen them rage and beat each other with sticks until the refs could pull them apart. Soccer is more omegas and betas, and they tend to act in a slightly more civilized manner. I know it's not up to me, but I would vote for soccer." His hazel eyes twinkled mischievously as he finished the worksheet and closed his notebook. "Anyway, you'd still be playing _fútbol,_ just not the American version _._ "

Gabriel chuckled and pulled off his safety glasses, stowing them in the drawer of their shared desk and lab table. "Dork."

"You know you love it." Sam froze as he realized what he had inadvertently implied with his words, but Gabe's soft smile and sweetening scent informed him that the omega wasn't upset.

"I think I'm beginning to," Gabriel whispered, leaning close enough to nuzzle Sam under his chin. They pulled apart a moment later, knowing that the Chemistry teacher did not appreciate PDA in his classroom, but the alpha's blush let him know that his gesture was appreciated.

* * *

Castiel pushed the mashed potatoes around on his plate, only absently listening to his brothers arguing about some movie that one of them wanted to see. It was family night at the little diner in town, and everyone was avoiding talking about anything important. Balthazarr wanted to find a way to ask his dad for a car, Gabriel wanted to ask to join the soccer team, Castiel wanted to ask to stay after class every day to practice for track meets, and the older two alphas wanted to admit that they were trying to move out. Chuck, as usual, was splitting his attention between something on his phone and his pups, only vaguely hearing anything at all.

"Michael and Lucifer are moving out."

Silence fell across the table, all eyes turning to the young, unpresented pup who had made the announcement. Samandriel glared back defiantly, his eyes narrowed. "No one was going to say anything! You talk and talk but never _say anything_! They told us in the car when they picked us up from school today, and I'm sad but they said it's a good thing. People move out when they grow up. They said there would be more room at the house for the rest of us."

Chuck turned to his oldest boys, both alphas sitting taller and meeting his gaze. "Sons, is this true? Are you moving out?"

"We went to Kansas City this weekend to interview for jobs," Michael explained. "It's a small restaurant chain with locations in Lawrence, Kansas City, and a few other towns nearby. We did the math and we can work enough hours while going to school to afford a small apartment near campus. Next year, after we've had time to make friends, we can probably upgrade to something nicer. Either way, it's kinda time for us to become more independent."

"And what about Alfie and Anna? How will they get home from school?"

"We can still pick them up; our shifts don's start until supper rush." Lucifer tilted his head, clearly trying to decide if he should offer his next suggestion. "You know, Balth has his license; we can see about getting him a car so he can take over the transportation duties."

"Cars are expensive," Chuck answered almost reflexively. "I'll see what I can do on that front, however. I have a friend at work who may be of assistance."

"We have your blessing, then?"

Chuck nodded as he reached for his water. "You have my blessing to get the jobs. We'll have to figure out the car situation before you move out."

Gabriel cleared his throat. "I'm trying out for the soccer team next week. Sam seems to think that I'll get in pretty easily, but they practice basically every day after school. The Pack can get me a ride home, as long as you'll approve me going. Cas has been accepted to the track team since he's an amazing runner, and he would stay after school, too."

"Who's going to watch after the pups?"

"I can do it," Balthazar offered. "They don't get home until four, and Cas and Gabe would be home not long after five on their latest days. Other than matches and meets, everything will be pretty much the same."

"Male betas don't watch after pups," Chuck argued, glaring at his third son.

"Why? What the hell does my subgender have to do with anything?"

"You can only sire pups, not bear them."

Balthazar snorted. "As if my lack of a uterus prevents me from making a damn meal or helping Anna and Alfie with their homework!"

Michael offered a short, sharp growl as Chuck leaned forward to snap back at his son, the other pups cowering away from the alphas in terrified anticipation of a fight. Their instincts silenced them, even Balthazar leaning toward the scant protection Lucifer might offer if Chuck accepted his son's challenge. "There's nothing wrong with dominants watching pups. It's not like you've had much help over the past decade, and we're still alive and kicking. Maybe you were raised in a time when alphas and dominant betas left the pup-rearing to their submissive partners, Dad, but none of that matters now. We live in a more progressive time now, and I think it's great that Balth wants to watch his younger siblings. The kind of omegas he dates, I wouldn't wonder if he's going to be the one doing that, anyway." It was a joke about Crowley's dominance, which Mike and Luci had picked up on instantly during the very brief interactions they'd had with the omega, but the young beta smiled at the words and his brother's kind support.

Chuck leaned forward, the faintest ring of red around his irises as he offered his own growl in return. "It is the way things have always been done, Michael! Don't pretend like you never wondered if things would have been better if your mother had lived."

"Because we wanted _her_ back, not because we needed an omega babysitter!"

Chuck snapped his teeth and lunged forward, stopped by a soft whine and a sharp tug on his arm. He glanced down at Castiel, the six-foot-tall omega cowering in his seat and staring up at his father with bright blue eyes tinted with just the faintest gold. "Please don't fight," Cas begged, the scent of terrified, unhappy omega filling the diner. This was one of those rare times when being a Lure might be advantageous; Cas's scent was too strong to ignore. Other families, even the ones who hadn't stopped eating to watch the potential scuffle between father and son, turned to face their table, alphas and betas moving to protect their omegas and pups from whatever was frightening Cas.

Chuck sighed and settled back into his chair, reaching out to rub the back of Cas's neck gently in a reassuring gesture. "Balthazar is welcome to watch Anna and Alfie if he wishes. Castiel and Gabriel are welcome to join whatever sports they wish, as long as they are able to find a ride home. If you can't . . . well, let me know ahead of time and I will see what I can arrange. Mike and Luci, I am glad that you have found gainful employment, but I would prefer if you waited until Spring to move out. Apartment prices will be lower then, and it will give me time to save up for a car for your brothers to use when you leave."

"Dad, we can afford the apartment now," Lucifer argued, freezing at the ice in his father's glare.

"Are you challenging me for control of this pack?"

Lucifer shook his head vehemently, reaching out under the table to grab Michael's hand for moral support. If they challenged Chuck and won, Mike and Luci would take over responsibility for his unpresented pups, which was something they certainly couldn't afford and were not prepared for. "N-no, Father, of course not." Cas, his instincts still demanding that he seek comfort from his pack alpha, noted dispassionately that his older brothers always used _Father_ when they were submitting to the man, but were happy to use _Dad_ at most other times.

"Good. I'll help you look at apartments in the Spring."

"Thank you, Father," Mike murmured, returning to his meal. Tucked up against Chuck's side, still in the throes of his awakening omega instincts, Cas grabbed for Gabe's hand and reached out with his foot under the table to touch Mike's leg. The argument had unsettled the fragile hierarchy of their pack, but no one was willing to push any further and risk breaking the bonds that kept them together. For now, the peace would hold.


	10. Pack Game Day

Chapter 10: Pack Game Day

* * *

"Hey, Sam?"

The tall alpha glanced down at the omega who had slipped into the desk beside him, tilting his head at the faint trepidation leaking through the scent blockers. It had been a few days since Castiel started wearing them, and his friends were slowly getting used to the antiseptic absence of any normal aroma when he was nearby. "What's up, Cas?"

"My dad and alpha brothers had a fight a couple of nights ago."

"Cas! Did you tell Dean?"

"No," the omega grumbled unhappily. "He's my alpha and he would want to fight on my behalf. You're my friend, so I'm sure you understand why I don't want to bring anyone else into my family's alpha drama."

Sam sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, yeah, I get that. I can't really say that I in any way understand how omegas can have loyalty to multiple packs, but I know that you need those connections and don't want them broken. Why did they fight?"

"Mike and Luci want to move out. Father wants them to wait. I think, very soon, they will both move out, and Gabe and I will probably choose to still belong to their pack, if only peripherally. I'm worried that my home life will be more difficult without my alpha brothers around to watch out for us."

"Cas, does your dad abuse you?"

"No," the omega barked out, shaking his head emphatically. There was a hint of fear in his blue eyes that Sam couldn't quite understand, but he knew better than to continue along that line of questioning. "He just doesn't understand us. We're omegas and he's an alpha. He isn't around much, either, which doesn't make it easier. Balthy tries, but he isn't as dominant as he would have people believe, and he's certainly no match for an angry alpha. I don't want . . . I don't want to be left behind when Balthy and Gabe inevitably leave."

"You're a year younger than Gabe, Cas. He's going to graduate before you and go off to college not too long from now. I don't know if he will go to KU, but I seriously doubt it."

"Gabriel is the rebel; Balthy and I will go to KU like Mike and Luci, but Gabe is going to get as far away as he can. Since we're in the middle of the country, I'm sure California and Florida are the directions he is looking. But, Sam, he doesn't _have_ to graduate before me."

Sam straightened at the twinkle in the omega's suddenly azure eyes, his inner alpha reacting to the excitement he could barely detect in his friend's scent. "What do you mean?"

"I talked to my counselor; she showed me the credits I have toward graduation and compared them to the base requirements to get out of here and enter KU, or most any college of that level. I'm less than three semesters from graduation. She said that the school teaches summer classes to help people who were left behind, but I'm betting that I can use them to get ahead."

"You'd have to do four classes in, what, two months? And you'd have to take your SATs this year in order to apply to colleges in time. That's a huge undertaking."

Cas nodded. "It will be easier with a study partner."

The alpha's hazel eyes widened in shock as his pen fell from nerveless fingers. "Are you . . . are you asking me what I think you're asking me? You want me to skip ahead with you?"

"Think about it; you're smart, Sam, I know you are. Smart enough to do this. You want to go to Law School, and you'll already have all of the math and science credits you need. If we work together, we can graduate with Dean and Gabe, and all of us can start college together. You won't have to lose him."

"Damn, is it that obvious?"

"That you care for my brother? Yes." Sam turned away to hide his blush, biting his bottom lip as he considered his friend's words. "You don't have to do this with me, if you don't want to. You can let Gabriel graduate on his own next year, and head off to a strange college by himself. I'm sure you'll have made him strong enough to stand on his own by then. Most omegas need the comfort of family, friends, or their pack in a strange situation, but Gabe has never wanted to be like other omegas." Cas watched Sam's face fall at his words, smiling gently as he squeezed the alpha's arm. "I'm sure he'll be fine, Sam. Gabe has suffered his heats alone for some time, and he will do so again in California."

"Cas," Sam whispered. "What if he finds another alpha? I only have two years to win his heart, but I could lose him if he leaves."

The raven-haired omega leaned his head against his friend's shoulder, letting the faint thread of his calming scent leak through his blockers. "He won't forget you, Sam. I just think you would both be happier if you could go with him. I'd like to say that he would take a year off before leaving, wait for you, but he's . . . he fights with my father and alpha brothers more than the rest of us and he won't stay. He's been ready to run since my mother died."

"Yeah, well, he isn't running from me, and I have reason enough to get out of this town when I graduate high school. Okay, Cas, I'm in."

"Great! You can go talk to my counselor; she has all of the details."

Twenty minutes later, while the teacher droned on at the front of the room about some sort of political instability in Europe hundreds of years ago, Sam snorted. "You're a manipulative little brat, Castiel Novak. You used my feelings for Gabe to twist me to your will."

Cas at least had the decency to look ashamed. "Are you mad at me? I really just want what's best for you and my brother, and I know that he won't be happy in California alone. And my dad is more likely to approve me going to summer school if someone else I know is there."

"No, I'm not mad. But, I'm guessing you want to try to keep this a secret from our brothers?"

"I mean, don't you think it'll be a fun surprise when we show up in Senior homeroom next year? Imagine the look on Dean's face."

"Alright, Cas; you've got a deal."

* * *

Dean had only known Gabriel and Castiel for a couple of weeks, but one thing that was glaringly obvious was how touch-starved the young omegas were. Their beta brother Balthazar seemed fine, having initiated a number of relationships in the two years since his presentation age, and he never lacked for companionship. He was utterly devoted to Crowley, and most of the members of the dark-haired omega's branch of the pack cuddled with their leader and his current crush whenever they could.

Castiel, however, had shied away from most of the pack members at least once, accepting gentle touches and well-telegraphed hugs from the omegas and betas. He still tensed up when an alpha touched him, always relaxing as soon as he recognized the scent, and Dean was certain that he would eventually become as comfortable with the casual touches that should be natural for his subgender as the year continued.

Gabriel was a bigger problem.

He never let any of the other pack mates touch him, allowing any and all affection from Sam but still distrusting the intentions of anyone else. He was getting a little more comfortable with Ruby, especially since they shared three classes, but Dean was worried about the omega's violent reaction to unannounced touch.

Their Spanish teacher was out that day, her late-term pregnancy making it harder and harder for her to make it through a full day. The substitute, who would eventually take over when she went on pup leave, had assigned them worksheets to complete in pairs, though none of them were very difficult. Gabe, who now chose Dean as his partner by default, glared at his paper and scribbled out a translation, checking his book when he stumbled on a word. Dean reached over and clapped a friendly hand on the omega's shoulder, analyzing his jump and slight shudder as he squeezed slightly. "Everything okay, Gabe?"

"Peachy, Dean-o. Never better." Even someone who didn't know the omega very well could detect the strain in his voice, and his scent had soured somewhat despite his best efforts to stay calm. "Even I'm not convinced by that," he appended, sighing and leaning slightly into the hand on his back. "It's just family stuff, Dean. Nothing you can really help with."

"Maybe not, but that's not always the point of a pack alpha. Sometimes my job is just to listen."

Gabe's head shot up at that, golden eyes wide in shock. "You are not the brother I would have expected to have the touchy-feely talk with me."

"Yeah, and if you tell Sammy about this, I'll wring your scrawny neck," Dean snapped, glaring at the omega until he grinned and nodded.

"Fair enough. Um, I guess it's just . . . my brothers got into a bit of an argument with my dad."

Dean nodded and rubbed his hand down Gabe's back, watching the omega relax as the soft strokes. "Your family's pretty big and diverse; I'm sure that Mike and Luci get into scuffles with your dad all the time."

"Not as bad as this week. I mean, it was so volatile that I thought they were going to actually fight. Cas is the only reason Dad didn't attack, I think."

"He was scared?"

Gabe nodded and leaned into Dean's touch, probably not even aware that he was silently asking for comfort. "I think he really was. He cuddled up to Dad, and I never see him do that. My brothers backed down, but the pups didn't calm down from all of the scents for hours."

"You comforted them?"

"Yeah, Cas wasn't up for it, so I did."

"And who comforted you?"

Sad golden eyes turned up to meet gentle forest green, and the omega surged forward to tuck his head beneath the Head Alpha's chin. Dean wrapped his arm around Gabe's shoulders, a little awkwardly due to the position of their desks, but he could feel the other teen slowly relax as he breathed in his head alpha's cinnamon and leather scent. The substitute teacher caught his eye from across the room, but Dean shrugged and glanced down at his friend, hoping that the man could see that he was comforting a pack mate, which most teachers would allow. Thankfully, the teacher shrugged and returned to his reading.

"I know that you want to be strong, and you want to be seen as this tough guy, but it's okay to need to be comforted, Gabe. It's okay to let us touch you. I'm getting the feeling that you don't get a lot of physical comfort from your dad."

"He isn't around much," Gabe murmured. "He remembers to when he's there."

"Does it bother you?"

"I'm kinda hating this whole feelings thing," Gabe grumbled, still tucked as tightly against Dean's chest as he could manage.

"Omegas need a certain level of physical contact from their pack mates, from fellow omegas, from their dominant partner, and from their pack alpha. I don't think you get enough of that, and it isn't going to get better when Mike and Luci leave. I'm getting the feeling that you won't let yourself stay bonded to them when they form their own fledgling pack, so my Pack might be all that you have. Will you give us the chance to help you, Gabe?"

"The other alphas in the school already see me as an easy target," Gabe prevaricated, his real objection clear. He didn't want to be seen as weak since he was already small and had eyes that were too gold all the time.

"Cas doesn't have a problem coming to me or one of the other dominants in the pack when he's feeling uncomfortable or needs to be close to someone. Meg has gotten into the habit of giving him a hug as soon as she sees him, whether he thinks he needs it or not. I'm guessing he's just always come to you in the past. You must be pretty strong if he looks up to you like that."

Gabriel leaned back slightly, the warring scents of shock and pride staining his natural aroma. "You think I'm strong?"

"Of course I do. It would be easier to be strong if you felt more comfortable in your own body, though. Your pack mates just want permission to nuzzle or hug you when they sense that you don't feel well, and we want you to come to us as soon as you learn to recognize any feelings of loneliness or unease. I've seen you go to Sam many times, but I want you to know that you're welcome to come to me if he isn't around. A lot of the omegas in the pack do."

Gabe dropped his head as he considered the offer, thinking back to the near-fight between Mike and Chuck and the desperate urge he'd had to cuddle close to his father's side like Cas had done. "Yeah, okay, I will try. Cas is better at the touchy-feely stuff, but I'm starting to see that you guys aren't so bad."

Dean grinned and patted Gabe's back, letting the omega return to sitting comfortably in his chair as he pulled their worksheets across the desk. He noticed that the blond was sitting a lot closer than before, but he knew better than to comment on the improvement. He did, however, make a mental note to send a message to the other group leaders in his pack, asking them to find ways to initiate interactions with Gabriel when they thought he might need comforting. Cas and Gabe weren't the first touch-starved omegas Dean's pack had decided to heal, but they might be the most skittish.

* * *

"We have inventory tonight at the store, so I'm staying over to manage that. I'll be back late tomorrow morning or early afternoon."

Castiel glanced up from his cereal at the announcement. Chuck's company did inventory from ten at night to six in the morning once a month, but usually his dad only worked the inventory itself, not the shift before. "Do you get a break between shifts?"

Chuck smiled and reached out to ruffle Cas's hair, the young omega grinning and ducking away from the friendly assault. "Of course I do. I'll have two hours between my normal shift and the beginning of inventory. I'll take a quick nap and have a bite to eat, and they feed us early in the morning, also. I'm covering the opening shift in the morning, but only until the store manager shows up, then I'll be home. Will you boys be okay on your own?"

"Of course," Balthazar assured his father from the couch in the living room. "Alfie has that baseball game with the Winchesters today and the rest of us were all going to hang out at their house with Dean, Sam, and some of the Pack for most of the day."

"Mike and I got lunch and supper shifts today, but we can drop you off before we head in. Dad, can we swap cars today, since we need to take all of the pups?" Luci nodded at Anna, who had been gifted two large dinosaur toys by the office staff the day before and was currently using them and a pair of battered straws to reenact the fight scene between Luke and Darth Vader. Lucifer wasn't entirely sure when she'd seen the movie, but she was very determined with her accurate quotations and half-articulated screams of pain.

"Sure, that's fine." The car Michael and Lucifer shared could only carry four teens comfortably, maybe five if the last one was Gabriel and he wasn't fussy about personal space, and they had borrowed Chuck's SUV the week before to take all of their siblings to the cookout at the Mayoral mansion. "Gabe, Cas; make sure you watch out for Anna and Alfie today."

"We will, Dad," Cas replied, finishing the last of his breakfast. He couldn't wait to go to Dean's house and spend the day again. Maybe this would become a new tradition.

* * *

Mike and Luci stepped out of the car when they reached the Mayoral mansion, helping the two younger pups with their bags while Balth, Cas, and Gabe greeted Dean and Sam. Luci reached for Gabe's arm, pulling the smaller teen to the side as he nodded toward Sam in what appeared to be a _friendly_ manner. The omega's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you plotting?"

"I called Sam before we left the house, and he said that his parents have offered to let you all sleep over tonight." The Novak house had a landline phone, and Mike had a cell phone, but none of the other pups had any kind of communication device. Chuck thought that even a pay-by-the-minute flip phone would be too much of a distraction for his school-aged children, so they had to use the house phone if they wanted to talk to anyone.

"Really? And Dad agreed to this?"

Luci shrugged and grinned in that half-feral way he had. "He'll be gone all night and we can grab you guys in the morning. It'll let me and Mike stay until last call and get some extra pay for cleaning up after closing. It's a good deal for all of us, Gabe, as long as you can keep them from asking questions." He nodded toward Cas, Balth, and the pups talking with Sam while Mike had a more serious conversation with Dean about watching after his siblings.

Gabriel's instinct was to reject the idea out of hand, but then he remembered his father's red eyes as he lunged at Michael in the diner, remembered the sharp burn of fear in his younger brother's honeysuckle and clover scent, and he hesitated. "It's just a sleepover, right? We had a couple, back in Illinois, before Mom died. They were fun."

Luci nodded and leaned closer to his brother, rubbing his cheek on the boy's head. "Just a nice sleepover. You'll have fun and watch movies and eat too much and sleep in a really soft bed. Mike and I will be here after breakfast to take you all home."

"Alright, Luci, we'll stay. Thanks."

Sam wrapped a friendly arm around Gabe's shoulder as the group headed for the house, tugging on the omega's bookbag in a question. "Plan to do much homework today?"

"Dad wanted us to keep busy," the blond replied. "We already did all of our homework last night, but it's not worth the argument."

"Yeah, that's fair." Sam led the group into his house and to the downstairs family room, Dean bringing up the rear. They showed the Novaks where to stow their bags before joining the small groups occupying some of the couches in the rather large room. There were three large tvs on the walls, each with a video game console hooked up and tables of snacks nearby. It was still early morning, so most of the snacks were fruit, but the teens were tearing through them just as fast as if the bowls had been full of candy.

Crowley looked up from his game, one of the Call of Duty franchises, and nodded at Balthazar, summoning the beta to his side with that simple gesture. Ash, the omega's current opponent, didn't even look up as he passed a controller to their new teammate, silently promising to add him to the team for the next round. Something exploded on the screen and Ash shot to his feet, howling obscenities at the player on the other team who had killed him. Intrigued, Anna padded over to the trio and stared at the screen as the game ended, tilting her head and locking bright olive green eyes on the still-seething young beta.

"Can I play?"

Crowley snorted, watching as Ash's face fell from fury to shock at the girl's request. "It's not really a kid's game, hun."

"Why not?"

"The blood, for one thing, and I don't know if your big brother will approve of you playing with guns at your age."

Anna, who at thirteen was not even a year younger than the mullet-wearing computer enthusiast, drew herself up to her fairly insignificant height and growled at the teen. "It's _digital_ blood and _computer_ guns, moron. It's not like I'm going to go pick up a real gun because I played with one in a video game. And you can't call me a kid since you're barely fourteen and I'm going to be that old in November. Now, hand over a controller and make room for me on the couch if you plan to see your presentation."

Ash, who was both not stupid and looking forward to surviving the next nineteen months until his official presentation, handed over his controller without hesitation, moving over on the couch and taking the fourth one for himself. "Please join us, ma'am."

Anna took her seat primly and grinned as she familiarized herself with the controls. "You can just call me Anna."

Balthazar buried his face in Crowley's neck to avoid bursting into laughter at his sister's actions. She hated when anyone referred to her as a child or used her primary or secondary genders to discriminate against her in any way. Ash had his hands full with the girl. A few minutes later, when Anna said she was ready, the four of them queued up for another multiplayer game.

Castiel, who had been prepared to rush across the room and pull Anna away from the group, had stopped at the gentle pressure of Dean's arm, respecting his alpha's request to leave the girl alone. He grinned at the outcome, gladly following Dean to another couch where Meg and Ruby were arguing over a handful of games, unable to agree on what to play.

"What's the verdict, girls?"

Meg's eyes lit up at Dean's question, thrusting three of the cases into his hand. "We can't agree on what to play. You don't have enough four-player games in this house."

Dean shrugged as he stared at the titles. "We normally only have me and Sammy. Cas, do you have a preference?"

"We don't have a game system," the omega answered, staring over the alpha's shoulder. "Is this a racing game? I've played one that looks like that at the arcade near my aunt's house."

"Yeah. You wanna play that one?" Cas nodded eagerly and watched as Dean handed the game back to Meg. She popped the game in as Ruby handed out the controllers, Cas taking a seat beside the brunette beta as Dean squeezed in on his other side. "Do you need a quick tutorial first, Cas? I don't know how familiar you are with the controls."

Cas fiddled with the joysticks and pressed a couple buttons, shrugging slightly. "I will learn them as I go. Let's just play."

The omega did remarkably well for someone who never practiced, quickly learning how to steer with finesse, brake at the appropriate moments, and save his boosts to blow past his opponents. He never managed first place, but he did take a couple respectable thirds and one second. By the time they finished their fifth game, Adam and the Winchester parents finally made it to the room.

Alfie, who had been casually watching Cas's game, ran over to meet the youngest Winchester son, pulling up short as he tried to remember how he was supposed to greet the person he was dating. He had seen Balthazar just clap Crowley on the shoulder, but he thought that was too casual. Cas and Gabe always hugged or nuzzled their alphas, and Alfie decided that might be a little more appropriate. Adam reached his arms out for a hug and the young omega accepted the offer, rubbing the scent glands under his chin on the teen alpha's neck. He barely had any scent yet, but the instinct to mark pack mates or people he cared about was already pretty decently developed, and Adam smiled at the gesture. "Hey, Alfie; how was your week?"

"Not so bad. I've almost caught up in all of my classes, because they were different back in Illinois, and they seem pretty easy." His face fell and his scent soured somewhat as he thought back to the alpha fight between his brothers a few days earlier, suddenly grateful that the young alpha was already holding him. "My dad and brothers fought earlier this week; I think they want to move out and he doesn't want to let them. I don't want them to go, either."

Adam glanced up at his parents, the faintest alarm in his stance. Unpresented, it didn't pass to his scent, but he was still concerned at the young omega's words. "Alphas will all eventually move out, Alfie. They can't stay with the family pack forever. But you're an omega, so you can be part of their pack and your dad's pack and your mate's pack one day. You aren't limited to just one option like we are."

"Really?" Alfie grinned at the revelation, his hands tightening in the fabric of Adam's shirt. "I didn't know that. I don't want to lose my brothers."

"Nah, you won't lose them. Mom says that being an omega is the coolest cause you can be in a bunch of packs. And now you're kinda in mine so you can come to the baseball games with us."

Alfie grinned and followed Adam out of the room, Mary leading both of them to the car as she passed a baseball cap to the young omega. John hung back, waving at Dean across the room and summoning his oldest son to his side.

"What happened that's got Alfie so upset?"

Dean shrugged, keeping his voice low and his scent neutral. "They won't tell me. I've gotten bits and pieces, but it seems like their dad had a bit of a fight with their alpha brothers, Mike and Luci. Gabe is a lot more upset about it than he let on, and apparently it was so bad that only Cas's fear scent prevented them from tearing into each other. I know that omegas frequently use their scent to keep the alphas in their packs from fighting, but Cas and Gabe are way too young for that responsibility."

"They shouldn't have to worry about that in their family pack," John agreed. "I'm sure I can arrange to meet Chuck, have a talk with him about the consequences to his family when he fights with the older two."

"I don't think they want that," Dean replied. "Gabe seems to think it was a one-time thing; after all, they've never gotten that close to fighting before. The argument was kind of intense, but the boys came to an agreement with their dad that will prevent it from happening again. I'll keep an eye on them."

"Alright son, it's your pack after all. Just do me a favor, okay? If you ever get that restless urge and feel like you need to fight with me to gain some sort of status or freedom, don't do it in front of the omegas. It's bad for their emotional health."

Dean chuckled and nodded, heading back to his game as John followed his mate to the car. He certainly knew better than to get into an alpha fight with omegas in the room.

* * *

"Okay guys, let's kill the games for a while and grab some grub." Benny helped Gadreel to his feet, Charlie grumbling as she put the controller down and joined them. Kevin, who was one of the redhead's best friends and one of the few students at Lawrence High as nerdy as her, glanced up from his Surface and looked around the room, clearly only just realizing that he was hungry.

The other two groups of teens were slower to end their games, Cas jumping up in joy as he finally took first place in the longest race the group had attempted that morning. Dean grinned and stood up, offering the omega a sideways hug before placing both controllers on the table. "Good job, Cas. You learned that a lot faster than I did."

"It was fun! When can we play another game?"

Meg chuckled as Ruby helped her to her feet. "You've created a monster, Dean. Let's go eat before we decide on this afternoon's activities."

"Agreed."

Benny led the huge group into the kitchen, having accepted the role of "responsible adult" while the Winchester parents were at their ball game. He headed for the pantry and grabbed a couple loaves of bread while Gadreel pulled sliced meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mustard, and mayonnaise out of the fridge and lined them up on the counter. He also plopped a pack of bacon by the stove as Dean dug around for the griddle and Ruby reached past him for the eggs. "Grab me a frying pan, Winchester."

"Anything for you, my demon queen," Dean replied smoothly, grinning at the other alpha's snort. "You want butter or the spray to grease it?"

"Spray. I'm lazy."

"Honestly surprised you made it here today, _cher_ ," Benny murmured, grabbing the cooking spray from the pantry. "I thought you had that archery club on Saturdays."

"Not until next week," Ruby replied, scooting up to the stove and taking the frying pan from Dean. "Gabe, you planning to join any sports this year? Not many practice on Saturdays, so if you have the free time you can join archery. I've watched you in class; you're pretty good."

"Thanks," the blonde replied, joining Benny at the pantry as the big alpha reached for the bags of chips. He dropped three of them in Gabriel's arms, letting the omega take them to the table. "I'll ask my dad; I don't know how I'll get there since Mike and Luci are going to start working more, but it sounds like fun."

"Cool. If you need a ride, I'm sure Meg and I can work something out. Amy is going to be in the club, too, at least until she heads to Japan. Dean, scoot over so I can fry my damn eggs."

"Bossy brat," Dean growled back, grinning as Ruby snapped her teeth at him. He glanced over his shoulder to count heads as he opened the pack of bacon. "Okay, get your sandwiches started. If you want bacon, let me know, if you want a fried egg let Ruby know."

Already knowing that their guests would be hesitant, Sam opened the first loaf of bread and placed six slices each on the plates in front of Gabe, Cas, and Balth. It was the twelve-grain bread he loved, and his parents had been buying it exclusively once Dean and Adam admitted that they liked it, too. "Growing teens need a lot of energy, as my mom would say. Make whatever sandwiches you want."

Cas and Gabe both went for the sliced meat, piling sliced ham, turkey, and two types of cheese on their first sandwich before asking for bacon. Gabe's second sandwich was salami, ham, and roast beef, and his third was a BLT. Cas joined him with a BLT for his second sandwich and just egg, cheese, and bacon for his third. Dean smiled as he used his spatula to lay the bacon across all three of Cas's sandwiches, feeling a warm surge of alpha pride that he had been able to adequately provide for his omega.

"Dean, do you want me to start you one?"

"Hell no, Sammy; I'll end up with fucking _kale_ and _avocado_ on it again."

"Kale and avocado are both delicious, but we are currently out. I'll make you one with ham, turkey, and roast beef if you want."

Dean nodded. "Tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and cheese, and you know my condiments. Thanks."

Balthazar, who was past his growth spurt, casually passed two of his slices of bread to Crowley, waiting for Charlie to finish with the mayo before grabbing it. Kevin piled slices of meat on his bread, taking an egg from Ruby and bacon from Dean before topping it with cheese. Eventually, all of them had two or three sandwiches on their plates, piling chips on the side before pouring a drink and heading to the dining room. The food didn't last long, Gabe putting away his three sandwiches handily before heading back to the kitchen for two more, while Cas managed three. Meg, Charlie, and Balth, as betas, didn't have the same appetite as their alpha and omega friends, but they still ate a respectable amount of food. Ash, even though he was a beta, ate as much as his alpha friends did, Anna sitting beside him and stealthily relocating chips from his plate to hers.

Crowley noticed the young omega's actions, nudging Balthazar and nodding toward his sister. The lean beta shook his head and returned to his food, indicating that Crowley should do the same. " _She's not a girl to cross,"_ he murmured in French. " _My alpha brothers have nothing on her when she gets angry. Alfie says that she's going to smell like blood and death one day, and not flowers like most omegas."_

" _Ash isn't stupid enough to cross her, it seems,"_ Crowley mused back, watching as the lean beta finished his sandwich and pushed the rest of his chips toward Anna. The young redhead thanked him politely and demolished them.

Once everyone was done eating, the kitchen was cleaned up, and all of the food was put away, the group returned to the living room and their video games. Benny and Gadreel joined Ash and Anna playing one of the Halo games, where the young omega quickly learned the most effective way to kill with an energy sword. Sam and Gabe, who had been playing board games earlier, convinced Ruby and Meg to join them in the corner while Charlie and Kevin squeezed onto the couch with Dean and Cas. Crowley and Balthazar, finding themselves along on the third couch, found an RPG that neither of them had ever heard of and gleefully jumped into the story.

"Ok, bitches, what are we playing now?"

Kevin grabbed a controller and pulled up the games installed on the console, navigating to his current favorite and nudging Charlie. "What about this one, my queen?"

"Good job, my favorite knight; I do so enjoy city building."

"Why does he call you 'queen'?"

Charlie turned to Cas as Kevin passed out controllers, setting up the game while the others talked. "Uh, it's a LARP event that we do sometimes. There are a lot of role-play events around here all the time, including a Moondoor one out of Michigan that most of the Pack attends. I got 'adopted' by the queen four years ago and she officially resigned this past spring, granting me the crown. So, I'm the Queen of Moondoor, at least in the Midwest. I don't know if they play it anywhere else. I've been invited to a number of Faires this year since my coronation, and I knighted many of the Pack members who have gone with me."

"I'm her Handmaiden," Dean added brightly, bowing his head slightly to the redheaded beta. "I'm the last line of defense against any threat to Her Majesty, her personal bodyguard and closest confidant, and I get to wear a lot of chainmail and leather. It's pretty cool."

"Maybe I can go sometime and see you," Cas murmured, ducking his head slightly. "It would be cool to see you guys in costume and stuff."

Charlie grinned gleefully, reaching out to squeeze the omega's arm. "You can come the next time we have a meetup. It'd be awesome to get you all dressed up and find you a place in the court. I'll let you know when the next one is coming up."

Cas looked up at the screen as the game started, putting each of them in a screen to choose their avatars. The characters were blocky and vibrantly colored, weird shaped human things with giant heads. He found one with dark hair and black marks on its back that looked like wings, one that made Dean grin. "That's one of Meg's creations. I don't know how she get it loaded into my Minecraft game, but it looks pretty cool."

"He's my favorite angel," the brunette added from across the room.

"Do you mind if I use it? I like this one."

"Have at, Clarence."

Cas tilted his head, blue eyes flashing between the Minecraft game and the young beta. "My name is Castiel."

Dean laughed and selected his own avatar, a blond Viking character. "That's what she named the avatar. It looks like you gained your own Meg-approved nickname, Cas."

"She can call me Clarence if she wants to, I suppose. What does she call you?"

Kevin snorted. "You don't want to know. Alright, Cas, since I'm guessing you've never played before, let me give you a quick rundown."

"Ok."

* * *

Adam took the tray from the hotdog vendor, passing the man a carefully folded wad of wrinkled bills across the counter. His dad had offered him a card to pay for the food, but Adam had seen Dean go on dates before, and his older brother always paid for his partner's food with money he had earned at his job. Adam spent the late spring, summer, and early fall cutting grass, trimming hedges, and weeding gardens for his family members and John's friends throughout the city, so he had plenty of cash to buy Alfie a couple hotdogs and a soda. John had seemed proud when Adam refused the card.

Getting back to his family's seats was easy. As the mayor, he had a private box not far from the upper level concessions stands, and the security guard John had sent with his youngest son led the teen back to his seat without issue. Alfie looked up as Adam returned, grinning gratefully as he accepted his half of the food from the alpha. "These look good, thanks!"

Adam felt something warm inside him, some alpha instinct purring at the thought that he had sufficiently provided for his omega. He hadn't dated much in his life, especially since he wasn't presented yet, but taking care of Alfie made him feel . . . wanted, needed, and maybe a little bit grown up. He had originally latched onto the young pre-teen because he saw something of Cas in the boy, and Alfie's older brother made Dean very happy. Adam wanted some of that for himself, and he hoped that he could make his new boyfriend smile like he had seen Cas smile whenever he was around Dean.

"Do you need anything else, Alfie?"

The omega grinned and shook his head, having already finished one of his hotdogs. "No, this is great. Thank you, Adam. Are you enjoying the game?"

"Yeah. I'm glad you were able to come." Adam reached over and ran his fingers through Alfie's short hair, grinning as the omega attempted a soft purr. "It's more fun with someone who enjoys the game as much as I do; my brothers are more into other sports."

"Hopefully I can come again. Dad didn't seem to mind that we visited you today, so maybe he won't mind next weekend?" There was a soft, hopeful note in Alfie's voice, but Adam could detect an underlying fear there. Clearly the omega was worried that Adam might not want him back or that his father wouldn't allow him to come again.

"I know you'll find a way to come back; my weekends have been super boring lately and you make them a lot more interesting."

Alfie grinned and ducked his head, the faintest blush coloring his cheeks. "Ok, I will make sure my dad lets me come back."

Adam grinned and settled back in his chair, turning his attention back to the game as he shared his fries with Alfie. It was kinda nice having someone younger and smaller than him to spend time with, someone he could protect who wasn't using him to get to his dad or oldest brother. Alfie wanted to spend time with _him_ , and Adam couldn't be happier.

* * *

Mary leaned against her mate's side, eyes on the two young pups intently watching the game. "Adam said that Alfie's scent is already coming in, though it's faint. He's probably going to have his heat a lot earlier than his older brothers."

"Adam's rut is going to be early, too," John pointed out, keeping his voice low. "Probably this winter, unless I miss my guess."

"It's a good thing alphas don't synchronize their ruts like omegas do their heats," Mary mused, watching as Alfie polished off the last of the fries. "I can't imagine what Alfie's house is going to be like when he and his omega siblings all go into heat at the same time."

"Maybe you can give them some pointers? I know that they have Gabe, but Cas, Anna, and Alfie could use a little guidance from an adult omega. I'm not sure what Chuck is willing to talk about with them, and I've found sex-ed at their high school to be somewhat lacking."

Mary smiled and nodded. "Only because the teacher is a prude. Maybe this year I'll volunteer to expand on the course in a more neutral location, and open the curriculum to middle school students. Pups are hitting their presentation earlier and earlier now, and even beta females are capable of having pups well before their teen years. They could use some extra guidance, and their parents are not always comfortable talking about 'the birds and the bees', so to speak."

"Only if you make Dean go and record his reaction."

Mary chuckled and turned back to watch the game. "Deal."


	11. Pack Dreams

Chapter 11: Pack Dreams

* * *

Michael cleared off the last table of the afternoon, glancing around the empty bar as he wiped his rag over the dark surface. "Looks like we have a bit of a lull."

"We will for a few hours now," the owner of the bar replied, arranging the liquor bottles on the back shelf as she pushed the bin full of dirty glasses toward her daughter at the other end of the bar. The Roadhouse was technically a restaurant, but it was known for its bar and pool tables just as much as for its simple, wholesome food. Ellen had moved to Lawrence when her mate died, almost two decades earlier, and had opened the place in his honor. She had since expanded to seven locations through Kansas and parts of South Dakota, though she had elected to stay in this small town after falling in love with one of her first mate's best friends.

Ellen's new mate, Bobby Singer, had moved from Sioux Falls to Lawrence ten years ago, ostensibly to be closer to his friend John Winchester, but mostly because he and his deceased first mate never had pups and he loved John's three sons too much to live so far away. John had watched in amusement as Ellen and an equally hardened, gruff Bobby danced around each other for five years before admitting their feelings and moving in together. With Jo's blessing, her mother had taken the grizzled alpha for a mate, creating a new dynamic between the Harvelle girl and the Winchester boys. They saw her as a sister, even as they viewed Ellen and Bobby as a second set of parents.

"Luci and I can get the dishes finished in the back," Mike offered, nodding toward Jo as she carried the bin of classes into the kitchen. She was too young to work the bar, all three of them were, but they could serve tables and clean up. Technically, she wasn't allowed to carry beers until she was eighteen, so Luci and Mike had taken over that duty when they started work earlier that week. Ellen was already suitably impressed with their work ethic, and the taskmaster beta rarely praised anyone.

"Yeah, that's a good plan. Jo's gonna whip up some burgers for lunch; have her make you and your brother a couple while you're working. On the house." Ellen was a shrewd, observant woman, capable of overpowering raging alphas and soothing distraught omegas with the same calm, collected demeanor. She had heard a little about these Novak boys from her friend John, and she could see that they didn't eat quite enough for their age and size. She had no problem providing them a meal when they worked the long lunch-to-close shift, especially on her busiest day. It would be good to have them around tonight.

"Thanks, Ellen," Mike replied, grinning as he headed toward the kitchen. He knew that it would probably be the last decent amount of food he would get until they closed, so he wasn't going to pass up such a generous offer.

* * *

Mary arranged the pizza boxes on the large kitchen counter, stepping back as the pups surged forward. When she and John returned home with Adam and Alfie, they found the group of teens engaged in the largest Monopoly game they had ever seen. They had taken five boards and lined them up across the game room floor, each of them a different them with different property names, including the Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, National Parks, Nintendo, and World of Warcraft editions. There didn't seem to be any rules controlling how a token could move, as long as it was forward, so there were tokens on every board, a jackpot pile on every board, and apparently two bankers to handle the massive amount of cash moving between the players.

Sam, who of course was one of the bankers, quickly dealt the four new players in, struggling to explain the combined rules as Dean rolled the dice and moved his tiny shuttle game piece four spaces forward. John had offered to order pizza for the group, a suggestion they enthusiastically accepted, and they played for the half hour it took the food to come. The game was paused while they tore into the pizza, Mary pushing more slices toward the hesitant Novak pups until she was sure that each one was stuffed.

Dean settled back on the floor next to Cas, grinning at the sated expression on the omega's face. "Dude, you ate like a whole pizza on your own."

"I only had five slices," Cas countered, blue eyes stormy. "You, however, had eight total between the three types you devoured, and that _is_ a whole pie."

Sam chuckled, reaching toward Gabe and absently ruffling the omega's hair. "He's got you there, Dean. Although, Gabe beat you by a slice."

"It was a small slice," the omega demurred, a hint of pride in his scent. He was small, but he could really put away food when it was available, and he knew that he would be able to eat one or two more slices before he went to bed.

"He's a growing boy," Ruby teased, munching on a cheese stick as she examined the movie collection neatly organized in the rack next to the largest TV. "Maybe if he keeps eating like this he'll grow as tall as Sam."

"My height is perfectly fine," Gabe retorted, leaning into Sam's casual caress. "It _was_ good pizza, though. Haven't enjoyed anything like that since the last time we visited Chicago."

"It's one of Dad's favorite places," Adam pointed out, counting his money carefully as he eyed the game board. He was in the middle of the National Parks board, but he was aiming for Star Trek and the open properties there. "What are we watching, Ruby?"

"It looks like you have the third Dragon movie. I haven't seen that one yet."

"Dragons?" Alfie looked up from his last slice of pizza, carefully cleaning his hands on a napkin to avoid transferring grease to the game board. He was very meticulous when it came to food, and nothing bothered him more than people leaving greasy fingerprints on his toys and games. "What movie is that?"

"Uh, _How to Train Your Dragon_? Have you watched it? It's a trilogy." Adam seemed almost shocked that the other boy might not be familiar with this particular set of movies.

"No, but I think I remember seeing it on your Netflix list."

"That was the series that Netflix made between the first and second movies," Sam replied, rising to his feet and joining Ruby at the BluRay rack. "Well, we have all three movies. I guess we're starting with this one. I think we have enough time for all of them since we can stay up late on Saturday nights."

Mary nodded her approval, leaning against the back of the couch as she watched the teens settle in to watch the movie without ending their game. "As far as I know, you're all staying over tonight, so you have plenty of time to educate these guys on the wonder of the Dragon movies. Gadreel, sweetie, do you mind helping me get some rooms ready for the Novaks? I'm sure Benny will play your turns while you're gone."

"Of course, Aunt Mary," the pale-eyed omega replied. The two of them were very close since he had been born just after she got pregnant with Dean, the scents and sounds of a newborn feeding right into her blossoming maternal instincts. Gad's mother had been glad of the free babysitting her older sister-in-law offered, and the young omega had grown up with Dean as a result.

Gadreel followed Mary into the rarely-used omega wing of the mayoral mansion, all of the teens relocating to the back side of the board where they could see the TV more easily, regardless of how tight of a fit it was. John conceded the game and divided his money and properties between his sons, grinning as he watched each of the boys split their spoils with their omegas. Crowley snorted and leaned back against Balthazar's chest, the beta's raised knees bracketing the dark-haired omega as they both got comfortable and turned their heads toward the TV.

The first movie was over in an hour and a half, and Ruby and Meg had both declared bankruptcy by then. Ash was out before the second movie really began, having landed on one of Anna's most expensive properties. The redheaded omega was ruthless, quickly determining that the value of his two properties and his cash reserve were only half of the rent on the space, taking them anyway and grinning as he handed over his game piece in defeat.

"I normally do better than this," Ash mused.

"Don't worry," Anna soothed, patting his head gently as her brothers watched in shock. "You did alright for a boy. Next time we'll play a game you're good at."

"You could play World of Warcraft with me next weekend," Ash offered, blushing slightly as he passed the dice to Gadreel. "I don't know if you like MMORPGs, but it's the best of them."

"Sure, I'd like to try it," Anna smiled, glad that the beta had fallen into line so quickly. He was much nicer than he had been when they first met, and she actually kinda liked him a little now.

Balthazar squeezed Crowley's shoulder in warning as the omega opened his mouth to comment on the interaction, slowly shaking his head and nodding toward the movie. Crowley, mind flying back to their lunch conversation, nodded and returning his attention to Hiccup and Toothless.

Mary and John headed to bed before the second movie ended, leaving Benny and Gadreel in charge on the condition that they get the young pups to bed at a decent hour. Though both of them had already bowed out of the increasingly competitive Monopoly game, they nodded and agreed not to let the young teens stay up too late. Half an hour later, they also headed to bed, leaving Dean in charge after telling him which guests rooms had been set up for the Novaks.

By the time the third movie was reaching a conclusion, all of the teens watching in breathless anticipation as the Dragon Riders battled against Grimmel and his army, there were only four players left in the Monopoly game. Sam and Gabe had turned the property game into a personal war, each vying to bankrupt the other as quickly as possible. By that point, there was no open property, nothing unowned, and the pile of fake money scattered across the floor and stored in the "bank" between Cas and Sam was ridiculous.

Dean handed the dice to Gabe as the battle on screen ended, the omega glancing at his properties and frowning as he lined up the tiny hotels on his most expensive trio. He had spent a great deal of his money the last round adding them, hoping that one of his opponents would get an unlucky roll and he'd get a big payout. He rolled and cursed at the seven tiny dots showing, knowing that he would hit one of Sam's most expensive properties.

"Bring it, Gabe," Sam grinned, watching as the omega reluctantly pushed his piece across the board. The spot he landed was sporting _five_ hotels, and his face fell as Sam gleefully did the math. "You don't have enough money."

"I, uh, I can sell all of those hotels and mortgage these three properties and I think I will have enough." Gabe pouted as he passed the plastic pieces to Cas, unwilling to deal with Sam as banker while he was losing to the moose. Cas carefully counted out the money and passed it back, watching as his brother sadly handed the wad over to Sam.

Three turns later, Gabe had won it all back, rebuilt his hotels, and was grinning as Sam paid him rent, nearly depleting the big alpha's store of colorful cash. As the movie came to an end, and Dean would never admit that his eyes were misty as the dragons flew away, the four teens finally came to the conclusion that it could take days for one of them to emerge victorious and they were far too tired to keep going. Sam finally called an end to it, helping Cas separate all of the money, properties, and game pieces back into the appropriate boxes as Gabe and Dean folded up the game boards. Once they were all stacked neatly and returned to the deep bookshelf against the wall, Dean gathered the Novaks together in the back of the room.

Ruby, Kevin, Charlie, Ash, and Meg headed toward the bedroom wings, having already visited so many times that they had permanent guest rooms. Crowley also rose to his feet, leaning close to Balthazar and whispering an invitation in the beta's ear. Grinning, the oldest Novak visiting the Winchester house followed his new boyfriend to a room in the omega wing, perfectly happy to share a room for the first time in his life.

Dean shooed Adam off to bed, leading Sam, Cas, Alfie, Anna, and Gabe toward the rarely-used omega wing. "This house was built approximately a hundred years ago, and the standards of the time among the wealthy families of Kansas included separate alpha and omega wings. Male betas would sleep in the alpha wing and females with the omegas. Of course, my parents only had alpha sons, so we only really use this wing for guests. Mom's a bit of a history buff and thinks that having separate wings is romantic."

"And practical," Sam added, one hand casually resting against Gabe's lower back. "This one is Alfie's, if I remember correctly, and Anna is across the hall."

Alfie frowned in confusion, opening the door and staring in shock at the bedroom. Mary and Gadreel had already moved his backpack into the room and found some pajamas that should fit him, which were folded neatly on the bed. Mary loved children, and had always wanted to have as many pups as possible, so she loved when her dozens of "adopted" kids stayed the night. She kept a collection of clothes in all sizes as well as toiletries for all genders and subgenders, so there was a small pack next to the pajamas with a toothbrush, toothpaste, mild scent blockers, and a comb.

The bed was queen sized with an antique frame, with a small dresser against the opposite wall, a tiny desk and chair under the window, and a closet in the back corner. "This . . . I'll be alone in this room? Just me?"

"Yeah, kid. All yours." Dean grinned as Alfie hopped into the room, grabbing the clothes and bag before glancing around for a bathroom. "There's four bathrooms on this hall; the door next to your room is probably the closest. Yell if you need something okay?"

"Thanks, Dean!"

Anna was similarly pleased with her room, having shared one with her baby brother for most of her life. She headed for the second bathroom with her supplies while Sam and Dean led the older omegas further down the hall. Sam pulled the blond to one side of the hall while Dean opened the door on the other side, each brother silently agreeing to handle their own trainees.

Gabe entered his room and ran his hand over the comforter on the bed, smiling at the softness of the mattress he could feel under his fingers. "Sam, this is great, and I hate to be picky . . ."

Thankfully, Sam understood immediately what the omega needed. "You know, Gadreel told me that ever since his first heat, he's had the urge to nest at night. It'll calm down once he's mated, unless he gets pregnant, but whenever he stays here we have to stock his room with blankets and pillows. Benny isn't a fan of the fluff, but he puts up with it. I'm guessing you nest at your home, too, and you'd like a little more . . . stuff."

Gabe breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, that would be wonderful."

"Alright, get ready for bed and I'll grab some extra pillows and blankets out of the closet."

Cas headed into the room he had been assigned, picking up the pajamas and smiling softly. "This is nice, Dean, thank you."

The alpha, already used to the shy, polite way his trainee spoke when he had something on his mind, rested a hand on Cas's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "What's bothering you?"

"I was just thinking . . . this wing doesn't smell like you."

"I don't come here, really. Mom prefers that the omega hall not stink of alpha."

"I don't mind the smell," Cas whispered, twisting the pants in his hands.

Dean smiled softly and ran his fingers though the omega's dark hair. "You know, now that it's summer, I get kinda hot at night, but I've heard that omegas tend to prefer higher temperatures. I took the extra blankets off my bed; you can borrow them if you want."

"I would really appreciate that," Cas murmured. "Thank you."

He fell asleep that night buried in the scent of his alpha, comforted by cinnamon and leather.

* * *

Mike tossed his towel in the basket by the back door, followed quickly by his apron as he ran his fingers through his hair to ensure that nothing gross had gotten stuck there. He couldn't wait to take a hot shower and fall into bed; thankfully Hester and Ingrid lived five minutes away and had offered to let the two alphas stay the night when their shifts ended. Lucifer followed his brother out the door, both of them waving at Ellen as she counted money in the back office.

"How'd you do tonight?"

Lucifer tucked his carefully-folded tips into his pocket as they headed for the car. "Almost a hundred, but I spent half the time in the kitchen. Ellen said it was busier tonight than she's seen in a while. You served tables most of the time; how did you do?"

"Two hundred. We'll put it in the bank in the morning. Do you need to keep any out?" The alphas combined all of the money they made and stored it in a shared bank account that they used to pay for car insurance, gas, and maintenance as well as saving up for the first two months' rent on the apartment they still planned on getting. They rarely pulled money out for personal reasons, except for meals that their food plans on campus didn't cover, but Mike always asked.

"I was hoping to take Ingrid to the movies Tuesday night."

"That's fine. Hester wants to go roller blading Thursday night, so I was going to hold out some money for that. I have to pay the insurance this week, but I think we have enough gas for the next five days."

"Cool. Ellen said we can come for supper shift tomorrow if we want, but it might be slower."

"Yeah, I'm in." Michael pulled into the apartment complex where the sisters lived, finding a spot near their building and shutting the car off. "Dad won't be working tomorrow night if he does the open, so he won't care if we take the shift."

"K, let me see your phone so I can text her our answer."

Michael passed the device over as he knocked softly on the girls' door, smiling as Hester greeted him with a gentle kiss on his cheek. "How was your shift?"

"Busy. Thanks for introducing us to Ellen; the Roadhouse is a great place to work."

"I'm glad you like it." Hester led Mike and Luci into the apartment, padding through the dark living room on slippered feet as the younger alpha locked the door, tapping out a text to Ellen with his free hand. "Ingrid's asleep already since she tends to wake up a lot earlier than me. I'm sharing her room tonight, so you guys can take mine. It's a queen size bed, so hopefully it won't be too cramped." The last time the boys had spent the night away from home, it was at a party thrown by a friend of Hester's, so they had crashed on the pullout couch bed at the friend's house. This was the first time they'd gotten to visit their new girlfriends' place.

Luci chuckled as they entered the room, dropping the overnight bag he and Mike were sharing on the floor. They were officially dating the sisters, but the relationships were still new and hadn't reached the _sharing a bed at night_ phase. He had been grateful when Ingrid suggested the separate sleeping arrangements that morning. "We were sharing a double until a couple of years ago when Dad realized that we were hanging off the edges. This will be great; thanks."

Hester smiled and bid the boys a good night, Lucifer heading for the single bathroom first to take his shower after handing his money over to Michael. Once both alphas were clean, they fell into bed, each carefully taking a side as Michael killed the light. "Night, Luci."

"Night, Mikey."

* * *

Castiel woke just before dawn, turning over in his too-comfortable bed to stare out the window. His room faced the back yard and the beautiful flowers and trees there, some of them already attracting early-morning birds and bees who sang a welcome to the sun. He cuddled deeper into his cinnamon-scented blankets, but he knew that there was little chance he would be able to return to sleep. The room was too quiet and the air too still without the grumbling sleep-talking that Gabriel tended to engage in or the small fan that his older brother kept running on his bedside table to create white noise.

Sighing, Cas threw his blankets back and slipped out of bed, straightening his borrowed pajamas and running a hand through his sleep-tousled hair. He slipped out of his room and padded to the bathroom to take care of his suddenly protesting bladder. After washing his hands, he sighed and turned toward the alpha bedroom wing of the house, hoping that Dean would not mind an early morning visitor.

Cas knocked lightly on the alpha's bedroom door, biting his bottom lip uncertainly as he waited for a response. The gruff, "come in," was all he needed to turn the handle and slip inside.

Dean was propped up on one arm in his queen-sized bed, huddled under nearly as many blankets as Gabriel used right before his heats. The soft morning light peeking around his closed curtains colored his hair in gold and lit the patterns on his comforter. "Hi," Cas whispered, suddenly shy in the alpha's bedroom. _Everything_ here smelled like Dean, stronger and deeper than anywhere else Cas had visited, and he wasn't entirely sure how to handle his body's somewhat conflicting reactions to the scent. Unpresented, Cas didn't have the urge to submit, but part of him wanted to run and see if the alpha was interested enough to chase, and part of him wanted to cuddle close to the older teen, searching for a protection he hadn't known since his mother died.

"You're up early," Dean observed, his nose twitching as he analyzed the young omega's scent. He had some idea what Cas was thinking, and he didn't want to do anything to spook his new trainee. "Everything alright?"

"It's too quiet in my room. I appreciate having one to myself, but . . . I'm not used to it."

Dean glanced at the clock on his bedside table, clenching his fingers in his blankets before throwing them back. "Well, I'm not gonna be ready to get up for some time yet, so you're welcome to stay but you'd better at least pretend to sleep."

Cas grinned gratefully and walked over to Dean's bed, carefully sliding under the covers and turning onto his side, back toward the alpha. He relaxed as an arm came to rest around his waist, the alpha pulling him closer and nuzzling his neck gently. "Thank you," Cas breathed, all of his instincts agreeing that cuddling Dean was the best solution to his sleeplessness.

"Go to sleep, Cas," Dean murmured, his alpha purring at the happy scent of the omega in his arms. His mother was going to scold him in the morning, but it was worth it for now.

* * *

Sam was always the first Winchester awake in the morning. He would rise just before dawn, lace up his running shoes, and run five miles before returning for breakfast, usually with one of his dad's bodyguards for company. Today's guard, an older grizzled war veteran named Rufus, tossed him a small towel to dry the sweat from his face as they returned to the house, grumbling something about needing a quick shower before swapping places with another guard. Sam waved a hand in farewell as he returned to his room, rinsing himself quickly and changing into something dry and comfortable before heading to the omega wing.

He reached Gabriel's guest room and knocked politely on the door, frowning at the lack of response as he tried again. He opened the door and softly called Gabe's name, grinning as the omega growled something unpleasant back and burrowed deeper into his makeshift nest. "Gabe, it's time for breakfast. Dad's making bacon, eggs, and pancakes."

Gabe peeked out from under his heavy blanket, golden eyes flashing in the early morning light. "I don't smell any bacon," the omega argued sulkily.

Sam walked over to the bed and dug through the blankets, pulling a squirming, protesting teen into his arms, carrying him like a small child out of the room and toward the kitchen. "Dad makes that last since the smell is enough to wake Dean no matter how deep asleep he is."

"You don't play fair, Moose," Gabe grumbled, grabbing handfuls of Sam's shirt as he was carried through the halls. "However, this is kinda sexy, being carried to breakfast by a big, strong alpha male."

Sam coughed in a futile attempt to distract from his blush, unable to hide it with his arms full. "I just want to eat breakfast sometime before the sun sets."

Gabriel shrugged and rested his head on Sam's chest. "You can carry me around any time you want, Sammykins."

Mary chuckled at that as her tallest son deposited his diminutive trainee into one of the chairs at the dining room table. She continued her trip around the table, placing silverware and napkins beside the plates Adam had already provided. The young alpha, finished with the plates and cups, glanced back toward the bedroom halls, tugging on his mother's arm to get her attention. "Should I go get everyone else up?"

Mary frowned as she followed his gaze. "No, I'll do it. Sam, who else was awake?"

"Charlie's room was open when I passed by, and Meg was leaving the bathroom. I thought I'd let the younger three Novaks sleep in since they rarely get to, especially Cas, but Michael warned me that Gabe wouldn't wake for breakfast unless he had no other choice."

"Completely true," Gabe chimed in, looking up as Gadreel entered the room and took his place at the table, his future mate heading for the kitchen to help John finish up breakfast. "Thank you for letting Cas sleep in. He's usually the first up, making breakfast for all of us."

Mary patted Gabe gently on the back, nudging Sam toward his chair. "I'll get the rest of the pups out of bed. Is Balthazar sleeping in the alpha wing?"

Sam cleared his throat. "Uh, no. I believe that Crowley extended an invitation for Balth to join him for the night. It was late, I'm sure they fell asleep immediately."

The blonde Winchester matriarch narrowed her pale eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "They better have. Especially since I doubt the efficacy of your school's sex-ed program."

"Mom!"

Mary grinned at Sam's shocked reaction, heading toward the omega wing to gather up the stragglers. "Sam, grab Ash, Kevin, and Ruby from the alpha wing, would you?" She heard an affirmative response as she reached the first closed door in the omega wing, the one that had been assigned to Anna Novak.

The redhead was awake, brushing her hair in the mirror above the small dresser. "Are you ready for breakfast, Anna?"

"Yes, ma'am," the girl replied, placing her brush neatly back on the dresser. She followed Mary out of the room, bare feet padding on the dark hardwood floors toward the dining room. "Do you need help getting Alfie out of bed? He can be stubborn."

"I'm used to stubborn pups. Go on to the table." Mary headed for Alfie's room next, nodding at Charlie and Meg as the girls passed her in the hall on the way to breakfast. Anna's younger brother was harder to rouse, even going so far as to growl weakly from his cocoon of heavy blankets. Mary just pulled him free and lifted him into her arms, smiling as the twelve-year-old cuddled against her neck and closed his eyes. She wouldn't be able to carry him long, but the boy hadn't hit his growth spurt yet and he was still manageable.

She reached Cas's room a few moments later, shuffling Alfie in her arms so she could open the door. Shock leaked into her scent at finding the room empty, the bedcovers mussed, and the scent of her oldest son leaking from the heavy comforter. Alfie turned in her arms and frowned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he sniffed the air. "Where's Cas?"

"He must be in the bathroom," Mary replied quickly, lowering the pup to the floor. "Go on to the dining room with the rest of your siblings and I'll send him along in a minute."

Mary headed for Crowley's room next, sighing as she knocked smartly. "You better both be decent in there," she called before opening the door. She found Crowley sitting up in bed, his dark hair still tousled from sleep, a snoozing beta curled up against his side and half in his lap. The room smelled of chamomile and lemon mixed with rosemary and lilac, though nothing stronger to indicate anything more than sleep had happened the night before. Still . . . "You should have told me you were going to invite him to your room," Mary scolded, though she kept her voice low to avoid waking the beta.

"I didn't know I was going to until just before heading to bed," Crowley admitted. "I needed to know what sleeping beside him was like before I decide if I want this relationship to go any further. You know that the compatibility phase of a courtship is incredibly important. I knew that our scents were well-matched and that I enjoy spending time with him . . ."

"Which is unusual enough for you," Mary observed. "I've never seen you spend time with any alpha or beta while visiting my house."

Crowley shrugged, running his hand through Balthazar's curled dark blond hair. "Strange, isn't it? I didn't expect to like him, either. But last night was probably the best sleep I've had in years, and I know that most of it was due to his presence. I find him . . . calming, and his energy both centers and excites me. It is strange. Also, he enjoys it when I dominate him from time to time, which is rare to find in a male beta. We didn't do anything last night, as you can tell, but now that I know we are compatible I am willing to talk to him about taking our relationship to the next level."

Mary smiled as Balthazar stirred, his arms tightening around Crowley's waist as he struggled toward consciousness. "I trust you'll keep that in your own house. You're both presented, so you are welcome to do as you wish, but I don't want those scents in this wing where they can confuse the omega pups."

"Of course," Crowley agreed, bowing his head in agreement. "We'll be out for breakfast in a few minutes."

Mary nodded and left, pausing at the room Cas had been assigned to catch his scent. She knew where he must have gone, but she had to be sure. Following the faint thread of honeysuckle and clover, Mary found herself standing outside her oldest son's room, passing Sam and his sleepy friends on the way. She opened the door and slipped inside, closing it softly behind herself as her eyes fell on the bed.

Mary had to admit, Dean and Cas made an adorable couple. The omega was curled up in his alpha's arms, raven head tucked under Dean's chin with blankets wrapped around both of them like a cocoon. The room had always been permeated with Dean's incredibly strong cinnamon and leather scent, but now it was sweetened by honeysuckle and clover. Mary was honestly surprised that Cas's aroma was strong enough to be detected over Dean's. Her son, finally sensing a presence in his room, opened his dark jade eyes and focused on Mary, glancing at the sleeping omega in his arms before looking back up.

"Breakfast time?" Mary nodded. Dean shook Cas gently, smiling at the bright azure eyes that met his, blinking away the sleep. "Cas, time for some grub. Wanna go splash some water on your face before we head out there?"

Cas nodded and slipped out of bed, smiling shyly at Mary before heading for the bathroom door in the corner. Two of the bedrooms in the alpha wing had been modified when John was a pup to have private bathrooms, though none of the omega bedrooms had been altered in the same way. Mary had considered it for years, but until Gadreel and Dean's Pack mates started visiting frequently it didn't seem necessary.

Dean slid to the edge of the bed and sat on the edge, resting his hands in his lap. "Ok, shoot."

"Dean . . ."

"I know you're not happy to find him in here. You know that we didn't do anything, you know that I wouldn't so much as touch an omega before he's presented, but you're upset."

Mary smiled and held out a hand, pulling her son into her arms for a brief hug. "I trust you, Dean. I know that you and your brothers are honorable, but I like these Novak pups and I don't want to see them hurt. They don't have a mother to look out for them, so I kinda feel responsible for them. You care about him, don't you, Dean?"

"Yeah, Mom, I do." Dean ran his hand through his hair in his favorite nervous gesture, glancing at the bathroom before speaking again. "He had trouble sleeping, that's all. He's shared a room with one or more of his siblings for his whole life, so sleeping alone is hard for him. He came in around dawn and asked to stay with me, for just a little while. I'm sure he'll get accustomed to it, given time."

Cas emerged from the bathroom before Mary could answer, having clearly tried to run a brush through his tousled hair. "I smell bacon."

Mary smiled and held out a hand, leading the two teens from the room. "John's cooking up a big breakfast for all of you. If you can smell bacon, it means he's almost done."

"He's cooking? Not you?"

"Ha, no. I'm a terrible cook. I'm pretty good at sandwiches and take-out."

"My dad doesn't cook," Cas murmured as they reached the dining room. "He says that's an omega's job. I'm not very good, but I try. Gabe is better."

"Dean can teach you," John offered as he entered the room, laden with platters with Benny on his heels. "He's a great cook, takes after his dad."

"I'll teach you anything you wanna know, Cas," Dean promised, eyeing the plate of bacon as he tried to decide how much he could take without fighting with his friends.

"That would be great, Dean, thank you."

A few moments later, when all of the food had been laid out on the table, the teens were too busy filling their plates and scarfing down breakfast for any more conversation. John met Mary's eyes across the table, smiling at his mate as she watched the teens eat. She loved making these pups happy, and no one enjoyed hosting new members of Dean's pack more than his mother.

* * *

 **AN:** I really like _How to Train Your Dragon  
_  
I find that I enjoy writing the soft, family type stuff with the boys, so hopefully you enjoy it.

I will be writing Mary teaching sex-ed at some point, but here are a couple of legal classifications in this ABO universe:

*The age of Presentation is officially 16 for betas, age of first heat for omegas, and age of first rut for alphas  
*Sex with an unpresented child is against the law regardless of the age of the other partner  
*Sex with a child under 16, even presented, can be illegal depending on the circumstances and is generally prohibited  
*Sex with a presented teen under 18 is only allowed if the partner is under 21  
*Age of majority is 18 as it is in the US and there are no other sex-related restrictions at that point  
*Mating is only allowed if both partners are 18 or over; forced mating of younger (usually omegas) teens was outlawed sixty or so years ago  
*Sex with an alpha or omega during their presentation (first heat or rut) is prohibited by law in all states _  
_


	12. Pack Illness

**AN:** Aurora could totally be a guy's name and you will probably recognize Cas's clothing near the end as related to a recent Misha picture. I regret nothing.

* * *

Chapter 12: Pack Illness

* * *

The following week was busy as the boys adjusted to their after-school schedules, Dean making sure that the two Novaks in his Pack had rides home every night so they could stay for their clubs. Chuck never noticed, and Michael was perfectly happy to let the younger alpha watch his brothers while he and Luci stayed late on campus to do homework and spend time with their girlfriends. Alfie managed to find a permanent ride for him and his sister to the high school every night, and they spent time with his boyfriend and their brothers' pack mates while they did their homework. Alfie and Adam grew closer even as the alpha approached his first rut, and the young teen worried about how the comfortable dynamic of their relationship would change when that happened. When he brought up his concern to his mother, she smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry; I've gotten permission from the School Board to run an updated sex-ed program next month and that's one of the topics I'm going to address."

"How did you convince Ms. Bevell to cede control of that topic to you?" Dean poked at his meal with less than his normal enthusiasm, one of the telltale signs of an impending rut. Generally, alphas didn't eat at all during the five or so days they were in the thrall of their mating urges, though their families made sure they drank plenty of water and energy drinks. Even a minor loss of appetite in a teen alpha was a warning flag for their parents that they would soon have a rutting pup on their hands. Thankfully, Sam and Dean were on drastically different schedules, so they wouldn't have to worry about taking care of both sons at once. Mary, knowing that Dean would need his strength, pointed at his dinner and frowned sternly. Reluctantly, the young alpha poked at his meatloaf and forced himself to eat another bite.

"I didn't, not exactly. She hates teaching the class; she finds the entire subject distasteful and she was only roped into it when Metatron got the principal job a few years ago. She is of the opinion that sex-ed should be taught by female omegas only, that betas are above such things as they do not have the same urges, and I let her believe that I agree with her."

Sam snorted and nodded, glancing at the salad bowl as he debated taking another helping. Of her three sons, Sam was the only intentionally healthy eater, so Mary made sure that she catered to his requests whenever possible. "Her class was boring, anyway. She separated us into two groups, keeping alphas and male betas in one group and the omegas and female betas in the other. She thought that if we learned about others' reproductive systems it would make us more likely to have sex. All she really did was show us some diagrams and tell us not to have sex with anyone until we were mated."

"Which is blatantly ridiculous, as fully nine-tenths of young alphas have assistance by their fifth rut, and most omegas refuse to mate with someone they are not sexually compatible with. How does she expect us to find mates if we don't even know how anything works?" Dean was just about to start his third rut and most alphas would be around nineteen before reaching their fifth. Ruts and heats would become more frequent and regular as teens aged into adulthood, but when they were young the timing was unpredictable at best. Mary had done the same research as her son, and she knew that his math was right.

"Don't worry, we'll be going over all of that. Research has shown that not only is abstinence-only sex education completely useless, it actually increases the incidences of sexual assault and rape among teens and young adults, as well as increasing teen pregnancy. My goal is to prevent teen pregnancies in your school and make sure that all of you are informed and able to consent when you are ready to engage in carnal relations."

John, who had pointedly refrained from entering the conversation, frowned at his mate's choice of words, mouthing them back to her across the table. Mary just grinned and shrugged, biting her lip and flicking her eyes in the direction of their bedroom. John, who always acceded to his mate's requests for "carnal relations," grinned back and mouthed _later_ before returning to his meal. "Adam, is Alfie coming to the game this weekend? It's a bit further drive than usual so we need to get an early start."

"He said that he is, and Michael already agreed to drop them off earlier than normal."

"Alright. Benny and Gadreel will be here this weekend, and they're planning to make gumbo for supper. Sam, does Gabe have a tournament this Saturday or will he be here to eat?"

"Nothing this weekend. Ruby said that he'll start competing with them next month, so he's been practicing harder than usual. He'll be here for supper, though."

"I'll warn Benny," John grinned. "I swear, that boy puts away more food than the three of you combined. I have no idea how Chuck keeps up."

"You'd better learn to cook if you plan to court him," Dean teased, having eaten as much of his meal as he could manage. Sam blush and grumbled something under his breath, but he didn't deny the claim. "Cas said that his brother loves pecan pies; I can teach you to make that."

"Thanks, Dean."

* * *

Cas liked to think that he had known Dean long enough to recognize when the alpha was acting unusual, and he was definitely avoiding his pack mates, his spicy scent soured by the chemical aftertaste of blockers that he would normally never wear. When the omega tried to approach his mentor on Monday, Dean managed to neatly avoid him, even skipping lunch and going to study hall instead. Cas cornered Sam after school, tired of trying to get a few words with Dean, but even the younger alpha was vague and evasive.

"He's just not feeling well, Cas. He'll be better next week."

"He's sick? Does he have the flu? What are the blockers for?"

Sam shook his head. "No, something else; the blockers cut the, uh, undertone of his condition so he doesn't alarm anyone. He'll be alright, Cas, I promise. He's got to be better in time for your birthday party, right?"

Cas smiled and ducked his head. Mary had insisted on planning a party for the weekend after his sixteenth birthday, inviting most of the Pack and his family to the Winchester mansion, and Dean had been helping his mother organize it. "I've never seen him act like this before."

Sam sighed. "I have. He'll be fine by Monday."

"Ok."

* * *

Dean was nowhere to be found on Tuesday, and by Friday around lunch Cas was almost frantic with worry. The other alphas in the Pack tried to comfort him, but none of them would tell the young omega where his mentor was. Crowley finally pulled the younger teen aside after last period, rubbing Cas's back gently until his scent cleared slightly. "You're upsetting the younger Pack members, Castiel. What's bothering you?"

"Dean's been out of school since Tuesday after avoiding me all day on Monday, and no one will tell me what's wrong. Sam just brushed it off, said that Dean will be back next week, but I'm really worried."

Crowley tilted his head curiously. "You have two alpha brothers, Castiel. How can you not know? Dean had to stay away from you because he was starting a rut. He didn't want to risk endangering you, especially since you're too young to help him."

"Oh. Why didn't he tell me?"

Crowley shrugged. "He probably didn't know how. You can't smell a rut yet, and he may have hoped that you would buy the sick thing. I'm sure he wants to protect you from all of the heat and rut nonsense until you're actually presented."

"I guess . . . Is there anything I can do for him?"

Crowley snorted, waving at Balthazar as the beta sauntered out of the main building and headed over to join them among the picnic tables. "Not until you're about a year older, kid."

* * *

Dean sighed and leaned back against the headboard of his bed, glaring at his soaked sheets as he tried to decide if he was willing to walk over to the mini fridge for a sports drink. He tended to stick with water while he was rutting, but the fierce pounding in his head as he reached his fourth day of constant arousal with little relief and no food demanded something stronger, cold, and hopefully blue.

The alpha forced himself out of bed and made it to the fridge by his door, leaning against the heavy wood as he maneuvered a cold bottle of the arctic freeze flavored drink out. Mary filled the thing up before his rut started in earnest, making sure that he had enough drinks, tea, and snacks to make it through five days of miserable isolation. There was ice cream in the freezer portion, but he wouldn't be able to stomach it until his fever completely broke. Tilting his head back, Dean drained the entire drink, crushing it and tossing the empty plastic bottle in the basic direction of his trash can. He glanced down at his currently quiescent cock, wondering how long he had until he lost himself to the rutting fever again. He never bothered with clothes during his rut, though he did try to change his sheets as he hated laying in his own sticky mess. Mary had put a waterproof liner under his sheets to protect the mattress, as she did every time one of the boys went into rut, so at least he didn't have to worry about that.

The alpha's eyes flashed red as a familiar scent of honeysuckle and clover reached him, seeping past the blockers soaked into the wood of his door. That sweet, innocent scent wrapped around him like a blanket, alternately calming him and forcing his alpha to roar to life with need. "Cas."

"Dean?"

Dean leaned his forehead against the door, struggling to calm his reactions and prevent his scent from frightening the omega. "Cas, why are you here? I know Sam told you to stay away."

"He, uh, he did, but I . . . no one would tell me what was happening most of the week, except for Crowley." Dean let his head fall forward with an audible _thud_ , knowing that Cas could hear it. Of course Crowley would be the one to spill the beans. "I just . . . I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help?"

Yep, that did it. Dean growled something unkind at his traitorous dick, the thing springing to life instantly at the thought of his blue-eyed omega _in here_ with him, bent over that bed begging for his alpha. It was a long, long time before he could force the red out of his eyes and speak. "I wish you could, my sweet omega, but you can't."

"Yet," Cas replied stubbornly, his voice somehow sounding closer. Dean could imagine the boy reaching up to rest a palm on the wood, hoping to reach his mentor. "When I'm older, after my first heat . . . I could help you then."

Dean growled and buried his claws into the carpet, thrusting his hips forward instinctively in an effort to ease the pressure in his growing knot. "Oh my sweet, innocent omega. Please just . . . I can't have you here. I just . . . you know, I do . . . I do want that." Dean knew that Cas's scent would change after his first heat, that it would gain that musky, yet overly sweet undertone that made omegas irresistible to alphas, but for now it was light enough that he could resist tearing down his door to reach the raven-haired teen. "You smell really good, Cas."

He could tell that the omega had pulled away from the door, probably looking up from his seat on the floor at the handle above his head. Wondering if Dean could break through, perhaps? "I didn't mean to upset you, Dean."

"I can't get out, Cas. The door is locked from the outside while I'm rutting. It's an electronic lock thing, it'll release if there's a fire or something, but it keeps me in here."

"I'm not afraid of you," Cas replied, somewhere between petulant and stubborn. "I missed you this week, and I thought that hearing your voice would make me feel better. I didn't think it would be hard on you."

"I'm glad you came, sweetheart. I really am."

Cas's scent swelled with the word, and Dean realized his slip. He hadn't wanted the omega to know. "You . . . you're glad?"

No taking it back now. "Yeah," Dean whispered, alternating between thanking and cursing his traitorous mouth. All he wanted was to be buried knot-deep in something right now, either a soft omega ass or one of his dozens of rutting toys. Unfortunately, it looked like it was going to have to be one of the toys. "I was pretty lonely before you came to town, you know. It didn't look like it from the outside, but I was. You brought a new life to the Pack and made me feel needed. This isn't how . . . or when I planned to say this, but you've become pretty special to me."

He knew Cas was smiling on the other side of the door, and he let himself imagine the way the young omega's joy lit up his face. "I've never been this happy before, Dean. You've made my life bright and I always feel wanted and safe when I'm with you. Do you think . . . when you're better and back at school . . . do you think we could maybe . . . canIholdyourhand?" The last bit was exhaled as a single word, revealing the omega's nervousness even more than the slight tremor in his voice.

"Cas," Dean teased softly, looking up at the unyielding wood of his door, "are you asking me to date you?"

"Yeah, I, um, I think I am."

"Oh sweetheart, I would like nothing more than that. It would be my honor to be your alpha."

Dean could easily imagine Cas's smile, emphasized by the swelling of his scent and the soft purr vibrating against the door. "I like when you call me that."

"Good, cause I don't plan to stop." Dean groaned as a spike of heat shot through his lower belly, his knot swollen and red in a furious attempt to get his attention. It was going to work soon; he could only resist his rut for so long. "Cas, you have to go. Please, uh, don't worry about me. I've made it through this before and I'll be fine by Monday. I might even be at breakfast in the morning, okay?"

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, Monday for sure. Tomorrow is less certain, but this rut is already slowing somewhat. Honestly, the fact that I can hold a conversation with you is proof of that. And Wednesday I'm bringing you lunch and some cake for your birthday."

"Okay. Take care, Dean."

Dean smiled against the door as Cas's scent faded, certain that his brother had no idea that the omega had gone wandering through the alpha wing. With the promise of Cas as his boyfriend as soon as he made it out of this cinnamon-heavy room, he was sure that he could make it through this rut with his sanity intact.

* * *

Gabe tore into his breakfast with his usual level of gusto, the other teens amazed by the amount of food he could put away. Benny had made breakfast that morning, creating omelets filled with various types of breakfast meat, mushrooms, broccoli, and three cheeses with salsa on top. The teens loved it, and Sam praised him for getting greenery into their meal. Balthazar and Crowley were conspicuously absent, having headed on a spontaneous camping trip as part of the omega's courting compatibility tests. His beta was perfectly happy to jump through all of the hoops the Brit imposed, knowing that a healthy relationship would be worth it.

Anna drained her orange juice and frowned sadly at the empty cup, smiling gratefully as Ash grabbed the pitcher and refilled it for her. Cas watched them curiously, not sure how his only sister had managed to snag the beta boy, but happy that she seemed to be enjoying herself. He would have to keep an eye on them when they were together after school and see how this developed.

Cas caught the scent first, looking up as faded cinnamon and leather reached his nose, the pale, gaunt owner of the scent shuffling into the dining room with a hopeful look on his face. His green eyes were lighter than usual, but he had washed off any evidence of the days he had spent locked in his room. Mary followed just behind him, having released her eldest son from his confinement before taking his hamper to the laundry room. She would move the mini fridge out later, to be used when the next pup started a rut, but for now she was more concerned with getting the teen fed and comfortable.

Dean smiled wanly as he took the empty chair next to Cas, reaching out to squeeze the omega's arm. "Heya Cas."

"Hello, Dean," the omega replied, blushing gently as the alpha's arm slid lower and wrapped around his waist. Gabe froze in his determined demolishment of his second omelet, golden eyes widening at the suddenly increased intimacy between his brother and head alpha. Sam cleared his throat and glanced away, most of the other teens choosing the avoidance response, as well. Mary smiled softly and caught John's eyes across the room, her eyes sparkling with _looks like I'm getting grandkids after all_ , not even phased by his _the boy's fifteen, Mary_ response.

"Hungry, Chief?"

"Starving, Benny," Dean replied, gratefully accepting the omelet, toast, and orange juice placed in front of him. "When do these ruts get easier?"

Sam glanced sharply at Cas, as if expecting that the young omega was in the dark about Dean's recent ailment, but he just kept eating quietly. "I'm pretty sure they don't, Dean."

Benny shrugged. "Now, Sam, that isn't true. Once they become predictable and you have some assistance, they tend to be easier. My last one was over in three days." Gadreel blushed from his seat beside Sam, clearly hoping that no one would connect him with the alpha's short rut. Benny caught Mary's glare from across the room, and he cleared his throat. "Of course, you want to make sure that if your partner is a female beta or an omega that they're on birth control and you have someone else nearby who can feed them. We lose our appetites during our ruts, but our partners need extra sustenance to keep up with us."

"Do omegas lose their appetite during their heat?"

Mary nodded. "Yes, Cas, they do. Your first one will be a surprise no matter what, but you'll lose your appetite before each successive heat and it's sometimes the most obvious sign that one is coming on. Although, watching your brother eat, I'm guessing Gabe doesn't lose his."

"Not at all," Gabe agreed between bites. "The problem is that I'm hungry but there are very few foods I can keep down. Mostly I stick to soup and rice."

"Well I can't eat anything during my rut so I'm still hungry," Dean interjected, having already finished off his first omelet. "Benny, do you have any more of these exquisite omelets laying around in the kitchen?"

The Cajun chuckled and collected his friend's empty plate. "I might be able to rustle one up. You probably want to look a little less like death tomorrow morning at school."

"It would be for the best, yeah. Besides, I've got a new boyfriend to impress." Cas grinned at that, leaning closer to Dean and resting his head on the alpha's shoulder.

Gabe looked up at his brother and grinned, standing up and planting himself firmly in Sam's lap, one arm around the alpha's shoulders. "Yeah, me too."

Dean chuckled. "Sam made the pie for you last night?"

"That he did, Dean-o, and I greatly appreciate your work in training him how to cook. Do you think you could teach him sushi next time?"

Dean chuckled as he spread jelly on his toast. "I can probably manage that in a few weeks. You and your siblings should come, too; it's actually kinda fun."

"Hey," Sam protested, narrowing his hazel eyes at the cocky omega that had taken up residence in his lap. "I am more than a vessel to provide you food."

Gabriel half-turned in Sam's arms, eyes flashing omega gold as he purred softly. "Don't worry, my beautiful, oversized moose; I'll make it worth your while." He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on the alpha's cheek, smiling at Sam's stunned expression.

"Well, I guess there are perks to learning to cook for you."

Gabriel grinned and tucked his head under Sam's chin, letting the big alpha embrace him. Mary glanced up at her mate, eyes wide as she nodded toward her middle son, and John just shook his head again. It was good to see his sons entering into relationships with omegas he and his mate already saw as part of their family, but it was way too early to be counting grandpups.

* * *

Cas hadn't expected any change at school once he started officially dating Dean, but he was the talk of the halls for days. Every alpha he passed watched him curiously, almost as if they were wondering what special trait he possessed to tempt the popular alpha, and the other omegas stank of jealously whenever he passed them, mostly ones Dean had turned down over the past couple of years. The Pack was great about it, of course, completely supportive of their Head Alpha and his omega, taking every opportunity to rub up against the boy and exchange scents, welcoming him even more into their family.

Sam and Gabe elicited a completely different response. Sam hadn't actually dated before, though he had spent time with a number of female omegas and betas, so for him to be actively dating a male omega, especially one older than him, was quite a shock to the single student body. Gabe was his usual exuberant self, though he noticed a distinct downturn in the number of alphas who were stupid enough to harass him between classes. Just the hint of Sam's sandalwood scent on his clothes pushed them away, and a well-placed growl from the alpha himself scared off the rest. One or two of them were dumb enough to test the strength of their new relationship, but they quickly learned the lesson that Sam had taught Fenrir, Narfi, and Slepnair.

Wednesday was Cas's birthday, and Dean, true to his word, brought a small cake for his new boyfriend's big day. The Pack gathered at lunch and sang to him, enjoying the teen's blush of embarrassment as he tried to find a way to hide behind his partner. The cake was angel food with vanilla icing, though Dean had dyed it blue to match Cas's eyes. The omega gleefully blew out the candles and cuddled close to his alpha's side as Sam fetched a knife to cut the cake.

"What did you wish for, sweetheart?"

"Nothing," Cas whispered, struggling to speak past the lump in his throat. "I've never been so happy, and I can't think of anything that would make this moment better."

Dean chuckled and kissed his boyfriend's forehead, nodding at his brother as Sam cut the cake into very thin slices. Mary would have a much bigger one on Saturday, but Dean had wanted to bake something that Cas could have on his actual birthday and not have to wait for the party. "You're sixteen now; does it feel any different than fifteen?"

"I think I can already tell that this year is going to be so much better than last year."

* * *

Mary shooed the giggling teens out of the kitchen as she finished laying out the appetizers. It was still warm, summer hanging on for all its might. It had been over ninety all week, but today was almost ten degrees cooler, finally a reasonable temperature for an outdoors birthday party. Most of the teens were in the backyard, either under the tents grabbing some food or walking the yard and enjoying the late morning sun. Castiel was in his room, having just finished his shower, and was waiting patiently for the Winchester matriarch to bring him his party clothes. Dean, who had let the omega cuddle with him the night before to ease any anxiety about being the center of attention at a big party, was outside with his brothers, waiting patiently to see his new boyfriend emerge.

Mary headed to the omega wing with a box tucked neatly under one arm, knocking gently on Cas's door and entering at his call. The omega, his hair still damp from his shower, was dressed in the sleeping pants she had bought for him after his first overnight visit, flannel covered in tiny striped bees dancing across green and white flowers. "Ready to get all fancy for your party?"

Cas nodded eagerly, eyes glued on the package in Mary's hands. She was just about as good at wrapping presents as she was at cooking, which was to say that duct tape was her friend, but Arlene had a talent for ribbons and shiny paper, so she had offered to decorate the gift. Cas took it carefully, slipping the ribbon free and placing it on the bed before removing the paper and opening the lid. His sharp gasp and the sudden tears in his eyes gave Mary a start, but they were followed by a huge grin as he pulled the dark pink fabric free.

She had found a lovely pink dress covered in intricate shiny silver leaves and sequins, the entire bodice sparkling with silver. The fluffy tulle fabric formed voluminous layers of skirt, though the inner layer was a solid satin like the bodice to preserve his modesty. It was fitted for a male omega, had actually come from a shop in town that catered to them, and judging from the way Cas was running his fingers over the satin, he loved it.

"I get to wear this?"

"It's your present, Cas. I thought you might want to have something lovely enough to wear when Dean asks you to Junior Prom, and now is a good a time as any to try it out. There's a tiara in the bottom of the box."

Cas squealed in delight as he found it, smiling at the way the rhinestones sparkled in the light. "I'm really going to stand out in that crowd."

"Which is certainly one of the reasons why I wanted an outdoor party. Think how lovely those pictures are going to look!"

"Thank you," Cas breathed, already slipping out of his flannel pants. He had worn dresses from time to time when he was younger, but now he pretty much was relegated to his alpha brothers' hand-me-downs and Lucifer and Michael would never be caught dead in a dress. Mary helped him slip into the bodice, which she had padded with a soft lining to keep his skin from chafing. Pretty was often uncomfortable, and she wanted to make sure that the teen enjoyed his party. The skirt was easier, though Cas had to let Mary handle hooking it to his bodice as he could barely feel the tiny connection points. "How did you know my size?"

"I might have asked your nosy little boyfriend to surreptitiously grab me a few measurements the last time you fell asleep on the couch," Mary grinned, pulling a pair of matching pink ballet flats out of the box. They fit perfectly, and Cas was on the edge of tears when he walked to the tall mirror on the closet door.

"It's so beautiful, Mary, thank you."

"Now, let's do something with your hair."

* * *

Dean sipped at his soda as he wandered between the tables, ostensibly mingling with the guests while Mary got Cas ready, but really he was just hovering near the backdoor wondering where his boyfriend was. He passed Michael and Lucifer, who had taken most of the day off work to be here, and their new girlfriends Hester and Ingrid, who seemed nice enough for college girls. Apparently, Ingrid had a class with Benny, so she was chatting with the alpha and his betrothed. Anna was standing near the snack table, stacked with fruit per Mary's insistence, shaking her tiny fist at Ash as he bowed his head and whined. Dean wasn't sure what the teen had done to earn him such a fierce reprimand, but Cas's little firecracker of a sister was giving him what-for.

Ash smiled and ducked his head, nuzzling the girl's chin and silencing her tirade. She blushed and reached up to run her fingers through his mullet, clearly accepting the boy's apology. Dean rolled his eyes and turned away, letting them have their moment alone. He would never have anticipated that pairing.

Gabriel had dragged his youngest brother over to the snack table and was showing him some of the tiny sandwiches he had made and the cheese tray that he had helped arrange. Alfie grinned and tasted the snacks, agreeing that they were very good, though he was waiting for cake like everyone else. A few of the Pack teens were taking the chance to get acquainted with the young pups, knowing that they would be accepted as members when they reached High School, and Benny let Michael and Lucifer know that they were welcome to join up at KU since the middle three Novaks were members already.

A commotion near the door caught Dean's attention, and he almost dropped his drink in shock. Castiel slowly walked out the back door, his voluminous skirts in one hand as the other held onto the door frame for balance. His scent swelled to fill the yard, all conversations stuttering to a halt as they took in his lovely pink dress, the silver sparkling in his raven hair, and the matching tiara sitting on his head. He looked every bit the happy birthday boy.

"Cas," Dean breathed, dropping his drink on a nearby table and surging forward to welcome his boyfriend to the party. "You look magnificent."

"You think so? Do you like it?"

"Of course I do! The color brings out your eyes and with that crown you look like one of those fairytale omega princes, like Sleeping Beauty."

Cas's eyes lit up at the reference; that was one of his favorite Disney movies. "Like in the scene where the fairies keep changing his dress color from blue to pink?"

Dean nodded, taking Cas's hand and leading him to the huge throne-like chair that John had erected under the largest tent in the backyard. "He looked great in both colors, just like you." Cas blushed and Dean leaned forward to kiss his cheek, touching the silver sparkle in his hair curiously. "What is this?"

"Some sort of hair paint that your mom found at the store. She said that it will wash out pretty easily, and I like how it accents the crown."

"That's glitter, sweetheart, the herpes of craft projects. It will never wash out."

Mary cleared her throat from the table near the throne, pointing at the pile of neatly and messily wrapped gifts in every color of birthday paper the stores sold. "Dean, we're never going to get to presents if you keep monopolizing him."

"Heh, sorry, Mom. Cas, you ready for some presents?"

The young omega grinned and looked around, beyond happy that all of his siblings were here and the entire Pack, even Ruby and Meg. His dad hadn't come, something about a stomach bug going around at work that had most of the other managers out sick, but he had given him a hug the night before when he dropped the pups off at the mansion and called that morning to sing happy birthday. Even without any presents, this was already the best birthday the teen could remember. "This is already pretty great even without presents," Cas replied, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes, "so yes! Let's do the presents part."


	13. Pack Birthdays

Chapter 13: Pack Birthdays

* * *

Dean had already deputized Anna and Alfie to handle the movement and delivery of the presents, admonishing them not to pick anything in particular first, just grab whatever felt right. So, when Anna's small hands closed around an inconspicuous little box covered in blue paper with an ostentatiously huge silver bow enveloping it, Dean cleared his throat to cover his shock.

Anna passed the gift to Alfie, who turned and handed it to Cas, reading the name tag. "This one is from Dean."

"Good first pick," John praised from the edge of the crowd, the teens chuckling as Dean blushed fiercely from his position near the throne.

Cas smiled warmly as he took the present and carefully detached the huge bow, placing it on the table beside him. He loved to collect the bows from presents, especially large, fancy ones like that. He tore the paper off carefully, eyes widening in wonder at the tiny present in the reused necklace box. It was an iPod Nano 6th gen, the blue square small enough to fit in the palm of his hand as the touchscreen lit up. The cord, one of the chunky 30-pin Apple cords, was nestled in the box, as was a slim package with a pale blue pair of Phillips earbuds. Cas knew that the iPod had been out of production for some time, and this wasn't even the latest model, which meant that Dean had wrapped his own music player with a new pair of headphones for his boyfriend.

"Dean," Cas managed, tears swelling in his eyes as he ran his fingers over the metallic surface.

"I know you said that you don't have a way to listen to music and didn't think that was quite fair since you like so many of the songs you've listened to in my car. I have all of my music on my phone, now, but I put every song I could find on that and made you a few playlists." Dean reached over and swiped the screen to the playlist section, scrolling to one labeled _Deans Top 13 Zep Traxx_. "This is my, uh, favorite tape in Baby's collection, and I thought this would be an easier way for you to listen to it than me finding an old cassette player knockin' around."

Cas surged forward and wrapped his arms around Dean, whining softly as he tried to find a way to express his gratitude. Dean calmed him with a gentle kiss and pushed him back into his seat, carefully settling the tiny iPod in his hands. "Thank you, Dean," Cas managed, turning the blue music player off and returning it to its box to wait patiently on his opened gifts table for later.

Anna grabbed her own present next, a lovely mug with a handle that she had made in her clay class. It was actually very symmetrical, and the glazing was done in a metallic light blue. Cas thanked his sister with a quick hug, placing the gift to one side as she grabbed the next thing in the pile. It was a trio of brightly colored shirts from Michael, probably from that Plato's Closet he had mentioned visiting before. Lucifer had found him a couple pairs of pants and three skirts, one of them heavy for winter but the other two were lighter in color and material for the end of the summer and the warm days in the fall. Cas almost cried when he saw them; he never had new clothes, and it had been a few years since he outgrew his aunt's old dresses.

Ruby and Meg had both given the young omega a makeup set, though the one Ruby picked was subtle, earth tones, and some gold accent powders, while the one Meg picked was blue, purple, and green in shades that would definitely be noticed from across the room. Cas was giddy with joy as he opened those; Chuck had never bought him makeup, he considered it a waste of money, but the girls were both eager to teach him to use his new gifts.

Fully two dozen pack members bought him books, including the _Harry Potter_ series (which had to be forcibly removed from his hands to prevent him from starting the first one right then and there), the entire original _Dune_ series written by Frank Herbert (including the two final books completed by his son twenty years after his death), the _Lord of the Rings_ books (he had borrowed _The Hobbit_ from Sam and had been eager to read the rest), and an incredibly large number of _Pern_ books (mostly used, but all in good condition). Cas stared at the dragon on the cover of the first one, tracing the delicate gold wings and the tiny, white-robed rider on its back.

"What's this one about?"

Maggie, who had given him that particular book, grinned. "It's a really good series about dragons and their riders. The author, Anne McCaffrey, was the first woman to win the Hugo Award, for one of her _Pern_ novellas, actually. Another one won the Nebula Award, which is voted on by the Science Fiction Writers of America."

Cas turned the book over, glancing at the other dragon books piled neatly on the table beside him. "This is science fiction? Dragons are more of a fantasy genre."

"Not these dragons, brother, trust me," Benny interjected, waving his hand at the two _Pern_ books he had contributed to the collection. "You'll like them."

Cas beamed at the Cajun, his scent brightening. Benny calling him _brother_ was the ultimate mark of acceptance into the Pack, and it warmed him more than the books themselves. "Thank you, Maggie, Benny, everyone. I can't wait to read all of these, but I don't know if I have anywhere to put them."

Sam grinned and pointed at a large box leaning against the nearly empty gift table. "Open mine next, Cas, trust me."

Anna, who knew she was too small to move heavy present on her own, waved Ash over, who gladly helped her shift it. Cas tore the paper off and grinned at the large bookcase revealed. "Thanks, Sam! I don't know if Gabe and I have any space in our room for this."

"Your room here has space," Dean pointed out, having stayed near the throne the entire time. "You're here nearly half the week, anyway."

"Dean, that's a great idea! We'll help you build it later, okay?"

"Okay, Sam, thank you." The young omega felt something inside him shift, something warm and fuzzy at Dean's casual mention of the guest room in the Winchester mansion as _his._ He had heard that omegas liked to nest, to have a space of their own, but sharing a room with his brother in his dad's house made that difficult. This bookcase would be the first piece of furniture that he alone would own, the first mark of his own, personal nest. Cas couldn't wait to build it.

Once Cas had opened all of his gifts (including a couple of Xbox games that he couldn't wait to play on Dean's system), the group moved to the long picnic tables for cake. The guest of honor sat in another gaudy, throne-like chair, which apparently Mary had bought as a set from an estate sale when she was pregnant with Dean, and John carried a huge sheet cake out of the house. Sixteen blue candles sparkled on top, hard sugar decorations spelling out "Happy Birthday, Cas", and colorful flowers were iced on every corner.

"Make a wish, Cas," Dean whispered from his spot on the omega's left, grinning as his boyfriend closed his eyes and did just that, blowing at the candles as hard as he could. Everyone cheered when the candles all sputtered out, and John took the seat to Cas's left so he could cut into the marble cake and hand out slices.

"Boys, Mary and I have been talking about the bedrooms in the omega wing, and we think it's time we upgraded them," John commented as the cake slowly vanished from everyone's plate, Gabriel already looking around for the ice cream he had been promised as Sam chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck comfortingly. "We never bothered before, since we rarely had any guests there, but you guys have been using the rooms for a few weeks now and I don't really think you plan to stop. We figured it could be a birthday present today for Cas and for the rest of you when it's your turn for parties."

"Not until they marry our sons, that is," Mary added helpfully, chuckling when her mate growled something unkind. "Obviously that is a long, long time in the future."

Dean leaned close enough to touch his nose to the base of Cas's neck, knowing that the boy was blushing. "She's just excited that we're dating, and she really likes you guys," he whispered. "Don't think for a second that she's trying to push you into anything, okay?"

Cas turned his head slightly, taking in a quick lungful of Dean's scent, which he was beginning to learn could calm him no matter what. "You know, you say that, but I wouldn't be surprised if she whipped out a wedding planner right now and just inserted our names."

"Well, traditionally the omega's parents would make the wedding plans in a union like ours, but my mom has never believed in tradition."

"What kind of remodeling?" Gabe, his attention drawn away from the memory of the cartons of ice cream he had seen in the freezer that morning, leaned forward so he could see John better. No one had noticed Cas and Dean's little whispered conversation, apparently. "Like lights?"

"Actually, we wanted to install a private bathroom for each bedroom, as well as updating things like light fixtures, probably repainting the walls, and installing a ceiling fan in each room. It's basically the same upgrades that were done in the alpha wing years and years ago, and what we were planning for Adam's birthday present since he doesn't have a private bathroom yet. We'll lose a couple bedrooms, but we'll still have enough for all of you to use. Bobby showed me a plan this week, and it looks good."

"What does that mean for us?"

"For most of the rooms, we can have it done in a week, if there is already a bathroom next door. We'll just make a new door and close off the one that's there. The two at the end, the rooms that rarely get used, we're only doing half-baths there so we can leave one in the hall. Cas and Gabe, there will be very little disruption for you, but Anna and Alfie's rooms will take longer so we'll just have them use different ones until we're finished. After that, those rooms will pretty much be yours permanently, for as long as you're members of the Pack and want to visit us. Mary and I wanted to make sure that this place felt like home for you."

Cas bit his lip as tears filled his eyes, his scent confused as he tried to process his reaction to John's news. He knew he was happy, that he was grateful, but for some reason there were tears running down his cheeks. "Thank you," he managed, leaning gratefully against Dean's side as the alpha pulled him in for a half-hug. "I'm grateful, why am I crying?"

Dean chuckled and ran his fingers through Cas's dark hair, glaring at the sparkling silver on his hand as he pulled it away. "You don't have to be all stoic all the time, Cas; it's okay to express these emotions. Sometimes we cry when we're happy."

Cas grinned and nodded, wiping his tears away. "I am happy."

"Good," John replied, his tone indicating that the conversation was over. "Are we ready for the ice cream, then?"

A chorus of affirmative responses answered the alpha, and Mary headed into the kitchen to grab the final desert, Benny and Gadreel on her heels. Gabe had to be forcefully restrained by his overlarge moose of a boyfriend as he practically vibrated in his chair at the thought of gallons of flavored sugar soon to appear, the other kids waiting a little more patiently.

Once the ice cream was gone and the teens were completely sugared up, some of them started to head home or to afternoon clubs, the Winchesters and Novaks settling in to play some video games, mostly Cas's new ones, while Mike and Luci helped Benny, Gadreel, Mary, and John clean up the back yard. When his two alpha brothers were done cleaning up, they returned to the living room to bid their younger siblings farewell. Once the group was back to their normal weekend crew, they settled into the video games routine, though Cas was reluctant to change out of his sparkling pink gown and Dean maintained light but obvious physical contact with him at all times. John, who understood alpha instincts far more than his eldest son, glanced at Mary and winked, the omega grinning in agreement.

The teens didn't head to bed until hours after the sun set, Gabe leading the omegas to their wing while Sam headed for the alpha wing with the other dominant pups. Dean walked Cas to his room, a hint of uncertainty in his scent that made the omega uncomfortable. "What's wrong, Dean? Are you okay?"

Dean followed Cas into his room, helping the omega out of his frilly pink dress and hanging it up in the closet. He watched the younger teen slip into his fuzzy sleep pants and shirt, reaching out to run his fingers through Cas's raven hair. "I don't know. I just . . . something about seeing you in that dress makes me feel . . . protective? The thought of letting you out of my sight terrifies me. I don't know why."

Cas bit his lip and looked down and fiddled with the ties on his pants. "Maybe it's an alpha thing? I mean, I don't normally dress like an omega, so maybe it's the first time your alpha has believed that I am one. Th-that I'm y-your omega?"

Dean let his fingers trail down to the back of Cas's neck, caressing the skin there for a moment before speaking. "You don't have to be nervous, Cas. Not with me, not ever."

"I just . . . I don't dress like an omega, or look like one, and sometimes I don't act like one. So my brothers tell me. How could I . . . how could you . . . why me?"

Dean pulled Cas closer and wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder, pulling him out the door and toward the alpha wing and his own room. Once they were in Dean's room, the alpha pulled his boyfriend into a fierce hug, letting his scent fill the small space. "Maybe it is an alpha thing, Cas, but your height and the way you dress do not define you as an omega. I don't think it's the first time that I've seen you as an omega, but maybe it's the first time I've seen you as _my_ omega in a large social setting. Everyone there knew . . . I'm supposed to be Head Alpha someday, and my pack could see that I would not rule them alone. A pack is always better with a stable couple leading it, like my dad and mom."

Cas smiled and nuzzled Dean's chin, scent marking the alpha in his still-immature way. "I kinda like being your omega, you know. I liked the dress very much when I saw it, partly because it is beautiful and I love dresses, but partly because I wanted you to see me in it."

Dean chuckled and headed for his closet, changing into his own sleep clothes before pulling back the covers on his bed. "I think I was maybe preening a bit that my lovely omega was the center of attention today. Everyone was looking at you, and alphas like that, I guess."

Cas turned toward the bed, smiling gently at his boyfriend. "And that alpha thing makes you not want to let me out of your sight?"

"Yeah, a bit. Do you mind staying here tonight?"

"No, of course not." The omega slipped into bed beside his boyfriend, finding comfort in Dean's strong arms and the nose pressed tightly against his neck. "Goodnight, Dean."

"Goodnight, Cas."

* * *

Two hallways over, John brushed his teeth in the oversized mater bathroom, glaring into his mirror at the gray hairs in his beard. "I'm getting old," he grumbled.

"You're not even fifty yet, stop complaining," his mate replied, the words practiced and easy, almost an instinctive response after two decades of marriage. Mary brushed her hair and tilted her head, trying to decide if she wanted to pull it up or not, ultimately deciding to leave it alone and head to bed. She was dressed in a loose pair of navy boxers, something she had stolen from her mate because they were super comfy to sleep in, and a light blue t-shirt with the faded logo of a band still visible on the front.

"Watching our boys learn to be alphas just reminds me that they're getting older by the day. Did you see Dean with Cas this afternoon?"

"Yeah. He doesn't realize why he reacted the way he did."

John grinned as he left the bathroom, turning off the light behind him as he headed for the bed. "You remember when I did that alpha preening thing at your cousin's wedding? As soon as I took you on the dance floor and everyone was looking at you, I just wanted them all to know that someone as wonderful as you had chosen _me_. It's a powerful feeling, one that any alpha wants to feel as often as possible. Cas seems to shy away from the spotlight, so those moments may be fewer for Dean, but I think he'll get enough."

"Some alphas never get enough of that preening," Mary teased, casually leaning back against the headboard with her head tilted slightly to the left, just enough for her mating bite to catch the light. John's blue eyes widened at the sight, slowly darkening to red as he let his alpha out to play. Offering the faintest of growls, the alpha stalked toward his mate, slowly crawling onto their bed as Mary reached over and turned off the lamp.

* * *

Other than their closeness at school, Cas didn't really feel that his relationship with Dean was any different than it had been before. Sure, the alpha hugged him more and kissed him from time to time, but nothing was really that different. Cas and Gabe did find more reasons to spend the night at the Winchester house over the next week, by telling their dad about projects they needed to work on, papers they had to research, or sports to practice. Usually, they would keep the younger pups, too, which allowed Balthazar the freedom to visit with Crowley and continue his pre-courting rituals.

Adam's birthday was the weekend after Cas's party, but all he wanted was to go to his baseball game like he did every weekend. John arranged for the boy to throw the first pitch, got his hands on one of the foul balls and had all of the players sign it, and bought him as much food as he could eat. Most of the Pack attended, though Adam was happiest to see Alfie, to have the boy sit with him and watch the last game of the season.

When they returned to the Winchester mansion that night, many of the Pack members staying over to play video games with the birthday boy, though Alfie cuddled close to his side the entire time. Even when he was yawning, too tired to hold the controller anymore, the young omega refused to go to bed, dozing with his head resting on Adam's shoulder.

"He's growing quite attached to you," John commented, leaning against the back of the couch as Adam won yet another race. "I've never seen you like this with anyone before."

Adam reached up to run his fingers through Alfie's hair, smiling as the boy purr-hiccupped in his sleep. "Is this how you feel around Mom? This kinda warm, tingling inside you that makes you want to smile when she's around?"

"Yeah, kid, pretty much."

Adam glanced at Dean and Cas, who were making some sort of weird art with peanut shells, the omega growling something at his partner as their recent creation fell over. "Is this what love feels like? Do I love him?"

John shrugged. "I don't know. Only you could know the answer to that. I can tell you that some people would think that you're too young to know love for real, but your mother and I believe that you can know your True Mate before you're old enough to scent bond. It's possible that Alfie is yours. Do you believe in True Mates?"

Adam bit his bottom lip and nodded. "I do. I mean, you and Mom are True Mates, right? Did you know when you first met her?"

"I liked her, sure, but I didn't know until years later, after I came back from the war. I joined the Marines young, and I didn't have a chance to see her for almost two years. Mary and her friends were lined up at the airport to meet us when we came back from one of our tours, and I caught her scent two terminals away. I don't think I'd ever run that fast in my life, and we instantly scent bonded, right there in Arrivals."

"I bet your boss wasn't too happy about that."

"No, he wasn't, but scent bonding isn't something you can control. You're not old enough to do that yet, so all I can say is that if you like Alfie, just spend time with him like you have been doing. Love and True Mates . . . all of that stuff comes later."

"Okay, Dad. I like dating him."

"Yeah, I know." John patted his youngest son's shoulder and turned away, counting heads on his walk back to his mate in the kitchen.

"What was that about?"

John accepted the beer that Mary offered him, turning to listen as Sam and Charlie got into a heated argument about some actor in a show they both watched. "Adam is trying to figure out his feelings for Alfie. You know, the normal pre-rut stuff."

"He's getting close," Mary commented, sipping at her beer. "What do you think, before spring?"

"Hmm, I think before Christmas."

"We shall see."

* * *

Cas enjoyed routines, and his life in Lawrence was quickly falling into one. He would go to school, meet Dean before classes, spray on his scent blockers for a measure of anonymity during the day, sit with his friends during classes and lunch, and stay after school for track practice. He was getting better, faster, and sometimes he would take first place in their shorter sprints. He was the best at long relay races, having a decent understanding of conserving his strength for the dash at the end from his time running marathons. Dean told him about a local charity 5K that the town was sponsoring in a couple of months, and the young omega eagerly signed up for it, his oldest brothers convincing Chuck to let him compete. When he wasn't in the gym or on the track, he was spending time with his new pack mates, learning the subtle languages of touch that he had missed out on without an omega parent.

He and his siblings spent their weekends at the Winchester house, always staying Friday and Saturday nights, and their dad promised that they could continue the trend as long as their grades stayed high. Mike and Luci worked Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights permanently now, making decent money at The Roadhouse and saving up as much as they could for their own apartment. Now their weekly family dinners were there, where Ellen always gave them half off and the alpha teens took over the responsibility of paying. Whenever Chuck worked the night shift at his store, Cas and Gabe would take the pups to the Winchester house and Balthazar would spend the night at Crowley's. The two were officially courting by the end of the month.

During that time, Gabe joined the archery club and had his own schedule on Saturdays, Ruby always giving him a ride when his brothers weren't able to. His after-school hours were devoted to soccer, the diminutive omega shocking everyone when he outperformed and outmaneuvered most of the older and alpha teens. Alfie and Anna had started getting a ride from their school to the High School after class, spending time in whatever clubs Adam and Ash attended that day, quickly taking their places as members of the pack. Anna and Ash were an unlikely couple, the older beta bowing to the firecracker's every whim, but somehow it worked for them.

Mary finally got approval to run her sex education class for the students at school, even getting the principal to allow her to use one of the larger rooms. The home room teachers got all of their students to sign up, letting them pick the day they wanted to attend, and of course the entire Pack picked the Monday morning slot. They thought Mary deserved the chance to practice her spiel on teens she knew, ones who had been to her house many times. On Monday morning they filed into the classroom Mary had borrowed, clustered in their small splinters as they waited for their Head Alpha's mother to arrive.


	14. Teaching a Pack

**AN:** This chapter is 100% exposition. I have read hundreds of ABO fics, and I always find myself wondering how that works anatomically, genetically, and from an evolutionary standpoint. So, Mary is here to explain how it works in my universe (and it's going to be pretty similar from an anatomical standpoint in all of my ABO fics). Yes, I have a degree in reproduction and genetics, which is how Mary became so fascinated with the subjects (eh, whatever) but it is a lot harder to draw Punnett squares from live data (aka, Chuck's pups) than to have planned it from the beginning. My math is probably right. If you want to know how ABO works, read on, otherwise you can pretty much safely skip this chapter (other than the new relationship revealed within). It was getting a tad long, so a bit more bleeds into the next chapter, but there is a kind of Chekhov's gun here in part of Mary's lesson. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 14: Teaching a Pack

* * *

Mary would never admit to being nervous as she walked into a room full of teenagers, a bundle of pamphlets in her arms with a laptop and book on top. She placed her supplies on the desk in the front of the room, grabbing a black marker and heading to the glass board on the wall behind her. "Good morning, class. As all of you know, I am Mary Winchester, wife of the Mayor, currently the District Attorney of Lawrence. I am here to teach a sexual education class that was approved by the School Board and follows national guidelines for a comprehensive sexuality education course at Level 4, approved for adolescents aged 15 through 18. I know that many of you have spoken to your parents about this topic, especially as some of you have already passed your presentation and may be sexually active. We will be going over six topics today, all of which will be covered in more detail in this pamphlets and in the online resources that I will give you links for: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. Please ask any questions you have as we go." She wrote the six topics on the left, outside of the area the projector would light.

Mary took the booklets and split them into six piles, handing them to the first person in each row to pass back to their classmates. She returned to her laptop and pulled up her presentation, connecting to the projector with the credentials that one of the teachers had scribbled on a sticky note for her, smiling as the machine politely displayed her human anatomy slide on the glass board. A few of the students gasped at the images displayed, though most murmured curiously among themselves. All of them flipped to the first section of their small books where the same images were displayed, though much smaller. Cas, who had never had a sexual health class before, leaned forward in his seat and stared at the image of the male omega, the uterus tucked up under his ribs that marked him as different from an alpha or beta.

Mary, noticing the boy's interest, smiled and stood next to the board. "We will start with basic human sexual anatomy. There are six different subgenders, all of whom are represented in this room. Sexual differentiation between male and female and between alpha, beta, and omega, are determined largely by chromosomes and occur early in prenatal development. Some babies are born intersex or physically present as a different biological sex from what their DNA would suggest, but we are going to focus on these six today.

"All three male subgenders have the same external features, other than the knot on alphas and the slightly narrower waist and wider hips on omegas. Male alphas and betas both produce sperm and generally can for their entire lives after presentation, making them capable of impregnating a female or omega. For an alpha, that's his first rut, and for a beta it happens sometime during early adolescence, a period that we refer to as puberty. The same basic physical changes happen to all males, including the maturation of the sexual and reproductive systems, emotional changes due to increased hormones, and the development of sexual and romantic feelings. I can guess that many of you have gone through most of these changes." A chorus of affirmative murmurs answered her, and the omega smiled.

"Male omegas cannot produce fertile sperm, though they can still have the same organs that allow them to ejaculate, including testes, penis, prostate gland, bulbourethral gland, and seminal vesicles. They also have a uterus with ovaries that become active during puberty, and they can produce eggs until they hit menopause later in life. As you can see here, the exit to the uterus, known as the cervix, is attached to the lower large intestines, between the upper and lower anal sphincter. Male omegas ovulate fertile eggs during their heats, which happen usually twice a year once an omega reaches full maturity. When they are younger, the heats may be years apart.

"All females have ovaries, but alphas do not ovulate fertile eggs and cannot become pregnant. They do, however, produce sperm and they have the ability to impregnate females and omegas. The system is slightly different from males; females have the same organs and glands, but their testes are internal, leaving no obvious external difference between the three female subgenders. Like male alphas and betas, female alphas are fertile at all times after puberty, generally until death, but alphas are significantly more fertile during their ruts.

"Reproduction requires the union of an egg and sperm, and it is easier for some people than others. Female betas cycle up to twelve times a year, though it is different for each person. A beta is generally fertile two weeks before the end of her cycle, and there are tests that can help determine when that is. Sometimes it is as simple as a change in body temperature, but for some women it is harder to detect. While betas are not as fertile as omegas, they have more chances through the year to become pregnant, if they choose.

"Omegas of both genders are only fertile during their heats, ovulating around day three, though this varies from person to person. Unlike betas, omegas can ovulate multiple mature eggs, but it is common for only the strongest one to implant. Multiple births are more common in omegas than betas, but especially in males. Male omegas produce low levels of estrogen, which is a hormone related to reproduction, at all times, but because they also produce testosterone, they need a spike of it in order to become pregnant. Nature's answer is to have multiple dominant follicles, the tiny sacs that hold maturing eggs, to create a spike of estrogen that is far stronger than we would see in a female beta. During heat, a male omega's testosterone production level is nearly non-existent, allowing for ovulation and possibly pregnancy. These hormonal cycles mean that male omegas have more emotional changes before and during heat than females."

Cas shrunk back in his seat, knowing that his scent was broadcasting fear but unable to control it. He didn't know what "emotional changes" meant, but he had seen shows and movies about omegas in their first heat turning into sex-craved maniacs. He didn't want to go through that at all. Dean, the only person sitting close enough to scent him through the blockers, turned in his seat and pulled the omega into a comforting hug. "Hey, Cas, it's alright. You've seen Gabe go through these changes and nothing bad happened to him."

Mary walked to Cas's desk and crouched down, getting closer to eye level with the trembling teen. "Castiel, it's natural for someone to be afraid of their first heat or rut. Your body is going to go through a lot of changes very fast, and you won't understand most of them. You're going to notice scents in a new way, and your body is going to want to respond to them differently than before. You're going to smell different, too, and your friends will respond to your scent in new ways. It's okay to be afraid, because you have people around you who have been through heats before and will take care of you when your time comes."

"You mean I'll want to have sex?"

"Your body, your omega, will want to be bred," Mary corrected, running her fingers through Cas's hair to soothe him. "You aren't your urges, though it will be hard for you to control them at first. You will learn. I'm an adult omega and no one is stopping me from doing anything I want. I have a mate, but I choose what to do during my heats. I don't spend all of them with John, and I certainly haven't gotten pregnant during each one. I chose five heats over the last two decades to try to get pregnant, and I have three wonderful sons to show for it. I don't want any more pups, even though my body still urges me to breed every time I go into heat."

Cas nodded slowly, accepting that information as his fear faded. "So I'll learn to be in control of my omega during heat?"

"Yes, you will." Mary stood from her crouched position, returning to the laptop and flipping to the next slide. "We're going to go over the physical specifics of sex next, but we will come back to the concept of control of one's own body and consent for sex and pregnancy. There are many definitions of sexual intercourse, but generally it refers to the insertion of a penis or knot into the vagina or anus of another person. More loosely, it could be any contact between one person and the genitals of another person, including hand-to-genitals, mouth-to-genitals, and other non-insertion type contact. These other types of sex, including anal sex where a male omega is not the receiving partner or anal or vaginal sex where a male omega is in the dominant position, cannot produce a pregnancy, but they do have other dangers. I know that you already discussed sexually-transmitted diseases in your health classes before, and those are the types of diseases that can be spread through contact with an infected person's sex fluids."

"You mean like AIDS?"

"Well, Tessa, AIDS isn't the actual disease, it's a syndrome that develops after a person has had untreated HIV for many years. AIDS is also not deadly, but the weakened immune system will allow diseases that are normally benign to become killers. Freddie Mercury, who you may know as the lead singer for Queen, died from bronchial pneumonia, which was fatal because he had AIDS. The virus that causes AIDS, HIV, can be transmitted through blood, semen, vaginal fluid, anal mucus, slick, and breast milk. A person that is HIV-positive can, through treatment, reduce the amount of HIV in the blood to levels that cannot be detected and therefore cannot be sexually transmitted. There is also a drug called PrEP that a non-infected person can take to reduce the chance of getting infected, but the best way to protect yourself from all sexually-transmitted diseases is to use physical prophylactics like condoms. Condoms should also be used to prevent pregnancy, as they are highly effective when used correctly and have very few side effects."

Gabe leaned forward and pointed at the screen. "Do female alphas wear the same condoms as males? It seems like they wouldn't fit correctly. I've seen Mike's box."

"Correct, Gabe, there are different types of condoms. As you can see from the diagram here, female alphas do not have a visible knot until aroused, and it forms at the base of their clitoris, which swells with blood and elongates slightly. Once the knot is about half-formed, the female can roll the condom over her knot like this." Mary made a fist with her left hand and held up a female alpha condom from the supplies she had brought into the room earlier that morning. She rolled it over her fist, watching as the dozen or so female alphas walked forward to get a closer look. She handed them a few unopened condoms, watching as they examined them and tested them on their own fists. "The fully formed knot is smaller than a fist, but this demonstration shows that the condoms can stretch quite a bit without breaking. It is not unheard-of for an alpha or a male beta to claim that condoms are too small, but that is never the case. While everyone should wear a condom that fits correctly, they come in many sizes to accommodate physical differences between males and female alphas. If you don't feel that your partner is respecting your wishes when it comes to sexual intercourse, you have the right to refuse to continue, even if you had previously consented to sex." She also pulled out a male alpha condom, rolling it down over her arm and showing the class.

Abaddon, the oldest of the female alphas, frowned skeptically at the tiny foil package. "You know, I had . . . assistance during my last heat, and I didn't have any of these."

"Did your partner wear anything?"

Abaddon nodded. "He had something, yes. He had a kind of sheath in his channel."

"Those are condoms designed for the recipient, formerly called Female Condoms but now just known as FCs. Originally, FCs were not safe for anal sex and only females could use them, but the new versions can protect male omegas' breeding channels as well as it does females' vaginal canals. When used correctly, the FC has a failure rate of five percent, though the actual failure rate is higher due to misuse. I have some here that you guys can look at if you want. I also have male alpha condoms and male non-alpha condoms. The alpha ones allow for the expansion of the knot at the base of the penis without putting extra pressure on it."

Mary waited until everyone had a chance to examine the condoms and FCs before returning to the board, using her pen to point at the detailed anatomical views of the female alpha and male alpha. "With males, the condoms work pretty well because the sperm is ejaculated from the urethral opening at the end of the penis, but females' urethral opening is here, under the knot. It doesn't extend very far away from the body, just enough to enter the canal where the knot is lodged and deposit sperm. When putting on a condom, the alpha female must ensure that she covers the extended urethra or it can't prevent pregnancy."

"But why are we different to begin with? What makes the subgenders? Other animals don't have them, so why do humans?"

Mary turned to Charlie, tilting her head curiously at the young beta as the room fell silent. She hadn't really expected that specific question, though the state-approved literature included a section on subgender. "Uh, well, that's technically outside of the scope of this course, but I do have an answer for you. About seventy thousand years ago, a volcano named Toba in present day Sumatra, Indonesia erupted, creating a global volcanic winter that lasted around a decade and a cooling episode that may have lasted up to a thousand years. That event caused the final extinction of _Homo erectus_ and a severe reduction in the population of _Homo sapiens_ , that's us. Archaeologists estimate that there were less than ten thousand humans left, possibly as few as three. That created a kind of evolutionary pressure that forced humans to mutate or die."

"So alphas and omegas are mutants?"

"Yes, Sam, they are. Humans have two copies of a gene, one on chromosome seven and one on thirteen, that control alpha and omega traits. Because those are autosomal chromosomes, we get one from each parent, so we have four total genes to determine subgender. We call them Subgender Determinant One and Two, or Sd-1 and Sd-2. At those locations, we can have an alpha gene, an omega gene, or a beta gene. This is far more advanced than I should be teaching you, but I think it's a fair question so we'll deviate here for a bit."

Mary turned to the board beside her projection, grabbing a dry erase marker. "So, many of our genes, and most of the ones we learn about, are controlled by simple dominance. Blood types are controlled by incomplete dominance, which means that you can have AB type if you have an A gene and a B gene. Subgender is a type of competitive dominance, where you have to have more of alpha or omega in order to express either, though the A or O genes have to be at least equal to the slightly more recessive B genes in order to overpower them. Two A's and two B's make you an alpha, but ABBO makes you a beta. However, a person with two A genes and two O genes will not be able to express either. They will be a beta, technically what we call a beta prime, like Balthazar here."

The beta looked up at that, shock in his pale eyes. "Uh, what do you mean? I'm just a beta; I've never heard of a beta prime before."

"It's a genetics term that isn't widely used in casual lexicon because the phenotype resulting from genotype AAOO is the same as from BBBB, but it means that you don't actually have beta genes at these loci, you're just overexpressing alpha and omega genes to the point where they cancel each other out. You have a stronger sense of smell than a normal beta, and your scent is unusually potent, two indicators of Prime status. Since you're a male, you may have the ability to go into a kind of pseudo-rut, whereas a female Beta Prime could have a pseudo-heat."

"How do you know that? I've never had a genetic test done." Crowley reached over and ran a hand down Balthazar's arm, soothing the beta, somehow sensing that the teen was distressed.

"Because of your siblings. You have two alpha and four omega siblings and your parents are an alpha and an omega. Their genetics have to be AAxx and OOxx, with these X's representing the genes we need to identify." Mary wrote the two sets on the board, leaving room beside them to note the seven pups' genes. "Now, the biggest hint we have about your parents' last genes is Castiel, who is a Lure. A Lure can only have one genetic sequence, AOOO, just as an Anchor, like my son Dean, has to be AAAO. This means that your father has to be at least AAOx in order to have created Castiel in the first place."

The raven-haired omega stared at the board in wonder; somehow seeing a genetic extrapolation of his condition made it easier to understand. "Are all AOOO omegas Lures?"

"No, but one has to have that specific sequence in order to be one. Now, your brothers have to be AAxx, and the other omegas would most likely be ABOO. Since AAAA and OOOO fetuses generally perish before birth due to defects that make them incompatible with life, my guess is that your father is AABO or AAAO. With that information, I can draw these Punnett Squares and see what genetics in your parents would produce the number and types of offspring in your family. Your siblings are around 58% omega, 28% alpha, and 14% beta, so we are looking for results that get close to that."

Sam shook his head as Mary quickly filled in the squares, only glancing at her notes a couple of times as she worked. "You already did all of these calculations at home, didn't you?"

Mary shrugged as she finished the squares and wrote the percentages by the side. "Yeah, I did. I find genetics fascinating, so I do this sometimes, especially when I have an extended family tree to work with. As you can see, any combination where the father is AAAO produces too many alpha and beta pups, and not nearly as many omegas as we see in the Novak family, so my best guess from the data at hand is that the sire is AABO. These four charts show the cross between an AABO sire and an ABOO, AOOO, BOOO, and BBOO dam. You can see that BOOO would be heavy on omegas, BBOO wouldn't be heavy enough, and ABOO would be heavy on alphas. From this data, our best guess is that the dam is AOOO, with Castiel this box here, the AOOO pup, the other three omegas possibly as ABOO, Balthazar as the AAOO, one alpha sibling as AAAO, and one as AABO."

"Mike is the AAAO for sure," Gabriel commented, as fascinated by the genetic squares as his younger brother. "So this chart seems to say that every beta in our family would have to be a Beta Prime, AAOO?"

"Right. Because the dam doesn't have a beta gene, the pair cannot produce a non-prime beta offspring. Charts like this help us determine possible genetic issues that can arise from certain pairings, such as Balthazar and Crowley. Because we know that Balthazar is AAOO, and Crowley has to be OOxx, they have a chance to produce an OOOO fetus, which would most likely result in a miscarriage. This is one reason that betas are considered less fertile than alphas or omegas, because they can carry unexpressed A and O genes."

The blond beta did the math in his head quickly, glancing at Mary's squares on the board. "The chance that I would produce a 4-O pup with an omega is pretty high, isn't it?"

"Only 25% of your sperm would be OO, and at most half of an omega's eggs, so it's only a seven to thirteen percent chance of lethality and nothing you would need to worry about. There are new reproductive technologies and procedures that allow couples with fertility issues to conceive pups when they wouldn't have been able to just five or six decades ago; for example, sperm can be separated by these genetic factors to remove the possibility of lethal genetic combinations. That is, of course, if you choose to have pups at all."

Castiel carefully copied down Mary's Punnett Squares, determined to find a genetics book in the library later and learn more about these genes. He was an AOOO and Dean was AAAO, so all of their pups would be alphas, omegas, or beta primes like Balthazar. He wondered if he could map any of his other genes, compare them to Dean's, and determine what kind of pups they might have. He made a note in the column of his notebook to find a lot of books on genetics.

"What are you thinking about over there?" Dean leaned closer and reached up to rub the back of his boyfriend's neck, smiling as the omega offered a brief purr.

"Just wanting to learn a little more about genetics after your mother's demonstration."

Mary's next slides were illustrations of the physical act of sex, the omega going through each type of pairing with a clinical, no-nonsense tone. She pointed out erogenous zones, a word that some of her younger students were not familiar with, and showed how alpha knots locked into omegas' and females' channels. "Now, sex feels good. It's meant to. As long as you are of legal age, you take precautions to avoid disease and unwanted pregnancy, and you care about and trust your partner, there's nothing wrong with doing it. Being informed, understanding your body, and knowing what to expect with your partner will ensure that the experience is safe and enjoyable for you.

"Many of you will find that you have a preference for partners, a preference that might be based on gender, subgender, or some other trait that appeals to you. It's normal to have a preference, even if you find that you need a different type of partner during your heats or ruts."

"What if we don't want any kind of sexual partner, rut or not?" Jonah was an Auxiliary Member by his own choice; he preferred to guard the halls and watch out for any Pack member, not have his own mentee to train. He was a Senior and an Alpha, but it was known that he did not want assistance during his ruts. Some part of the process was repugnant to him.

"Some people don't want to have sex at all, and that's perfectly alright. Someone who doesn't feel sexual attraction to anyone, regardless of gender or subgender, is known as an asexual. Like most other types of orientation, it's a spectrum, so you may find that someday there is a person you have a secondary attraction to, and we would call that demisexual. Secondary attraction develops over time, forming out of the relationships you have with another person and the emotional connection that you have. Primary attraction, in comparison, is based on appearance and smell and first impressions. It is normal to experience only one, both, or neither."

Jonah smiled gratefully and ducked his head, glad that his reaction to sex was not abnormal. A few other students had specific preferences they wanted to ask about, and Mary answered each of them before moving on. It was clear that some of these students didn't feel comfortable talking about their sexual desires or lack thereof with their parents, so she was glad that she could be a resource for them. Having Toni Bevell teach the class before had been a mistake; the teens deserved someone who would answer their questions about sex and their own urges.

Dean leaned over to Cas, close enough that only the omega could hear his whisper as Mary finished answering the other students. "Have you had any of these sexual urges yet?"

Cas shrugged. "I'm not sure. I know that I didn't respond to your rut scent when I was outside your room, so I'm not close enough to my presentation for that. Dad did tell us about this part, the mechanics of sex, to some extent, and I understand how it will work when I am ready. I think I would want to try it, with you."

"Is there anyone else you would want to try it with? Even if it was only during their rut?"

Cas looked around at the teens who were becoming his closest friends, people he certainly trusted and cared about, but he couldn't see himself wanting to have sex with them. He had thought about what Dean might look like naked, sure that the alpha must be as attractive without clothes as he was with, but he had never wondered about anyone else. Maybe that was a sign that his presentation would eventually come; he had never cared what anyone might look like naked before meeting Dean. "No, I don't think so. I wouldn't want them to suffer, but I don't think I would be able to help them. I do find all of them aesthetically pleasing, so I wouldn't say that I have a preference as your mother explained it, but I don't desire them."

"Do you desire me?"

The young omega blushed and bit his lip. "I'm not sure, but I like it when you hug me or hold my hand. I don't know if it's desire but maybe it will be?"

Dean smiled and took Cas's hand, running his thumb across the soft skin between the boy's thumb and forefinger. "Yeah, maybe."

Mary headed into a section on consent and legality, pointing out that it was illegal to have sexual contact with an unpresented child or to partner with an alpha or omega during their first rut or heat. She also recommended that her students not have their first sexual experience during their cycle; they would want to be clear-headed and in control, two things that they generally wouldn't be during a heat or rut. "There's a common misconception among unpresented pups that they will completely lose control during their first rut or heat. It isn't true, but you may feel like that when it hits. There are many small indicators that your first heat or rut is coming, including an increase in your sense of smell, a strengthening of your own personal scent, an urge to fight or nest depending on your subgender, decreased appetite, and an increase in temperature, but most people miss those small signs. The day an alpha goes into rut, the moment of that first rush of hormones, they will suddenly feel threatened by other alphas and intense jealousy if they have a partner. They'll want nothing more than to mark their territory, push away any other dominant betas and alphas.

"Omegas will have a different version of the same reaction. They will nest, of course, but they also want to be as close to the most dominant members of their pack as possible, especially their partner if they have one. They will be skittish around unrelated dominants and members of other packs, as well as showing overt jealousy toward other omegas and a desire to stay away from open, unprotected spaces. If you see one of your near-presentation friends exhibit any of these symptoms, make sure you get them somewhere safe. Teenagers can easily be overwhelmed by the scent of someone's first heat or first rut, and they aren't used to controlling that reaction until they are older. It can create a very dangerous situation for a presenting child. If you are around someone going into heat or rut for the first time, you must overcome your own instincts in order to assist and protect them. Subsequent heats and ruts will be easier."

"My first rut was awful," Dean murmured, too quiet for anyone except Cas to hear him. "I don't remember much, but I was so angry, and I know that I attacked Dad. Sam was scared, he was too young to understand what I was going through. Mom finally got me calmed somewhat and into a room alone. Thankfully we were at a resort in the mountains and not at school where I could have hurt my friends."

Cas shuddered and leaned into the comfort of Dean's touch. "That's what worries me the most. Mike and Luci were nearly feral when they went into rut the first time, and honestly they aren't much better now. They mostly try to kill each other, though, so we're fine. Gabe was visiting Aunt Amara when he went into heat the first time, and he won't tell me about it. I don't know what's going to happen when it's my turn."

Mary had moved on to family relationships, the image of a traditional pack hierarchy on the screen. "Pack structure is everything to an alpha or omega, and it is important to a beta but to a lesser extent. Only betas can live without any pack, any family, and any connections. An alpha builds their entire life, their entire sense of being, around their position in their pack. When they are ready to leave their family pack and form one of their own, either with their siblings, some friends, or their mate, they have to reject their Head Alpha. In the old days, when packs were more feral, they would fight and be chased away, but now a simple 'bite the hand that feeds you' will suffice. One day my sons will leave, probably to make this Pack official, together, and they'll have to reject John to do it."

Dean grinned and snapped his teeth, Mary chuckling along with the other students. Dean knew that he would have to reject his father at some point, but he planned to be much older and out of college before that happened. Sam would stay with him, he knew that, and Adam should follow him when he made his new pack, too. He took comfort in the fact that, though he might one day have to leave his parents, he would never lose his brothers.

"Omegas are pretty much the polar opposite. They want to belong to as many packs as possible, relate to as many family groups as they can, and they usually can manage up to a half dozen comfortably. I was still part of my father's pack when I mated John and joined his, though Dad eventually submitted to John and combined the packs. All of you are still part of your parents' packs, but one day you may have mates and you will have a place in their pack, also. Research in this area has been spotty, but it was long believed that omegas only had associative position in a pack hierarchy. I think that they actually have a primary position, they just don't measure their worth by how close they are to the dominant alpha. Omegas measure their worth by how they relate to the other submissives in the pack, recognizing that the bonds they form with each other will protect them and their pups. That's the driving force behind belonging to multiple packs, earning that protection from many Head Alphas."

Cas grinned. "That's pretty cool. My alpha brothers told Gabe that omegas don't belong in packs, don't have position in one, so it's nice to hear that they were wrong."

Mary nodded. "Christian and Gadreel figured that out a long time ago, and they wanted to make sure that all subgenders could have their own place within that structure. Crowley here is a prime example of how well it's working; his position in this pack is fifth, a spot that is normally held by an alpha." The Brit bowed his head in acknowledgement of the recognition, his trainees reaching out to touch him just as they would to seek reassurance from an alpha.

"Do they ever leave a pack?"

Mary nodded. "It doesn't happen often, but it can. If two of the packs that the omega belongs to come to be in conflict in such a way that the omega can no longer stay with both of them, the omega will suffer a syndrome known as Pack Schism. They have to choose which pack to leave, and until they do, they will suffer. I have never seen a Schism myself, but I have heard of it, mostly when the two families of a mated pair have a falling out."

The teens nodded as they accepted Mary's explanation, a few of them flipping through their booklets to see if there was more information on Pack Schism. Mary moved on through the topic of relationships, touching on love and the importance of dating, especially as a teen. "Readiness and interest in dating varies among individuals; you may see your friends with partners but not have someone that you are interested in dating yourself. Not everyone dates, and your parents may have rules about how and when you can do so. For family unity, it's important that you come to an understanding about how you may spend time with any potential partners. Dating can include many different types of recreational activities, and other people may not date the same way you and your partner do. What kind of things do you like to do on a date?"

Balthazar leaned back in his chair and reached out to run a feather-light touch down the back of Crowley's neck. "I enjoy camping, getting away from the city and back to nature." The oft-surly omega inexplicably blushed, though no one was willing to ask why.

"I like baseball games; sharing a sport we both enjoy with some hotdogs and soda." Adam, of course, had found a boyfriend as enthusiastic about the country's national pastime as him.

"I like going to clubs, being around all that music and excitement," Ruby offered. "It'll be more fun when I'm old enough to drink."

"Please, you're too much to handle sober," Meg quipped, blushing fiercely as she realized what she had revealed. No one had known they were dating, but there had been rumors.

"I like quiet nights in front of the television, watching a movie or playing a video game. It's just nice to be together."

Mary smiled at Cas, having wondered if anyone would bring up the idea of a quiet night in as being a legitimate date. "All of those are valid dates, as long as you both enjoy them. When your dates involve expenses, as we can see that Ruby's and Meg's do, either or both parties can pay." The alpha laughed as her beta blushed, but they certainly didn't argue. "However, paying for a date or giving someone a gift does not entitle someone to any type of sexual activity. You have the right to refuse sex with your partner at any time, even if you are married."

The next slide showed the adrenal system on a neutral figure, specifically the scent glands at the base of the neck, at the base of the jaw, the insides of the wrists, and in the groin area. "These are the places you can touch another person to transfer scent, though of course the wrist is the only one you would generally use. Only family members or dating partners would touch these glands, here under the jaw, normally for comfort or bonding. For example, an omega might nuzzle his alpha under his jaw in a tense situation to calm him down. When Dean was a pup, he would frequently fuss in public, and I would hold him here, under my chin so he could scent me more easily. It normally calmed him."

"What about me?"

"You were always a quiet child, Sam, but if you did fuss only your brother could calm you."

"I would calm Alfie like that, when he was a baby," Cas murmured, reaching up to press his fingers against the scent glands at the base of his jaw.

"One of the gifts that a Lure has is a thread to their scent that can calm the fussiest pups. It will be a great asset to you if you choose to have pups of your own."

"If they're Dean's pups, Cas is going to need that ability," Sam teased, eliciting a few laughs from his friends and a quick growl from his brother. Cas made a note in his book about Dean being a fussy pup, and he wondered if their babies would be troublemakers.

"These scent glands here, in the neck, are used exclusively by partners who are very close or those who are mated. When two people want to become mates, they will bite each other here, on the neck, where their scent is the strongest. In order to create a mating bond, you have to bite hard enough to break the skin and make your partner bleed. The exchange of blood at this gland will create the bond, beyond the scent bond that most dating partners develop. It is important to know if your partner is clean of disease before mating; it is possible to mate with someone who has a contagious blood-borne disease without it transferring, but you must know."

"Is it as magical as the movies would have us believe?"

"It's certainly a unique and profoundly intense experience, Garth, but magical is for movies. As long as you are both prepared for the experience, you will enjoy it. Mating is for people who are ready to share the roles and responsibilities of life, though many people will get married years before they are ready to mate. Marriage is a legal contract with the state, though many people bring religious elements into the bond. Marriage and mating are both commitments that require mutual effort, something that is helped by honesty between the partners. Both marriage and mating can result in the parties choosing to have a child, which of course requires sex during the right time in a cycle for a female beta or a heat in the case of an omega. Raising pups is a full-time responsibility, and many people find it hard to balance a job and parenting duties. That's why it's important that you plan for your pups, that you and your partner are ready for that. It's also advised that you wait until you're older to worry about anything like that; pregnancy is not as safe for a teenager as it is for an adult whose body is finished growing."

Mary switch to another slide, this one with bullet points about sexuality but no pictures. "All children are curious about their bodies, and that curiosity evolves as they grow. Sexuality is a natural part of being human, and sexual feelings, fantasies, and desires occur throughout life. These are natural, but they do not need to be acted upon. Sexuality is experiences in a variety of ways at different stages and points in peoples' lives, though it is not a significant for everyone. Masturbation is one way that people express their sexuality, and it is a safe way to do so that does not risk pregnancy or STDs. People who are single, mated, or in a committed relationship masturbate, and it may be an important part of a couple's sexual relationship. Having a sexual partner does not mean that masturbation must or should stop."

Cas made a note of that, too; he hadn't had any sexual urges yet, but he had seen changes in his body that prefaced the arrival of his presentation. He had been curious about them, but there was a whole section in the little booklet that he could read later. He knew that Gabe masturbated, often loudly but always in another room, and he wasn't inclined to talk to his younger brother about what he was feeling. Balth, who had had more sexual partners than both of his older brothers combined, would never talk about his conquests, other than assuring Mike that he was always safe and he always used protection. This class was good, Cas decided; he wanted to know about all of this before he had to face his first heat.


End file.
